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Pujols, Kendrick homer in Angels’ win over Rangers

By WTOP Staff

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — It took the Los Angeles Angels 4½ months to catch the Oakland Athletics and move into first place in the American League West.

Albert Pujols and Howie Kendrick homered to give the Angels an early lead on the way to a 5-4 victory over the Texas Rangers on Saturday night.

The Angels (72-49) are alone in first place in the AL West for the first time since 2011, but they are only two percentage points ahead the Athletics, who lost at Atlanta on Saturday.

“We haven’t accomplished anything yet,” Pujols said. “Let’s not get too far ahead of ourselves. When we accomplish our goal, then we can talk about it.”

With his team in fifth place, Rangers manager Ron Washington talked about the division race.

“I think it’s going to come down to who continues to pitch well,” he said.

The Angels finished 78-84 and in third place during an injury-plagued 2013 season.

“It definitely feels good to be on the track we hoped to be on last year,” manager Mike Scioscia said.

One reason for their improvement to the best record in the major leagues is a better bullpen.

Huston Street worked a scoreless ninth inning for his 33rd save in 34 opportunities. It was the second straight night the Rangers rallied before losing 5-4.

Los Angeles has won nine in a row over Texas, tying the series record set during the 1985 season and matched a year later.

Street hasn’t allowed a run in 12 games with the Angels since being acquired from San Diego on July 18.

“He’s just a bona fide closer,” Scioscia said. “He has created an opportunity for us to shorten the game by moving (Kevin) Jepsen up to the seventh inning, and Joe Smith up to the eighth.”

Angels starter Matt Shoemaker (11-4) pitched three perfect innings before Shin-Soo Choo led off the fourth with a home run, but by that time, the Angels led 5-0.

Kendrick added two singles in a 3-for-4 night. Kole Calhoun had a single and a double for the Angels, and Erick Aybar had two singles.

Pujols hit a solo homer in the first against starter Colby Lewis (8-10). Kendrick hit another solo shot in the second.

Los Angeles’ Chris Iannetta doubled home another run in the second, and Calhoun singled to drive in two more in the fourth. Both hits, like Pujols’ homer, were with two out.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Angels: Los Angeles activated RHP Mike Morin (left foot laceration) from the disabled list. He pitched an inning in relief.

Rangers: Rios made his fourth consecutive start after aggravating a sprained right ankle on Aug. 10. RHP Yu Darvish (inflamed elbow) won’t travel with the team to Miami on Monday, and will continue treatment in Arlington.

UP NEXT

The teams’ three-game series concludes on Sunday. Angels LHP Hector Santiago (3-7, 5.84) defeated the Rangers 15-6 on July 10 in Arlington. Texas RHP Nick Tepesch (4-7, 4.29) last faced the Angels on July 11, when he lost 3-0.

SLUMPING

Rangers 1B J.P. Arencibia had been 0-for-19 before his run-scoring single in the fourth. RF Alex Rios was 0-for-16 before his two-run single in the seventh. LF Jim Adduci went 0-for-4, and is in an 0-for-20 slide. Angels CF Mike Trout went 0 for 5, extending his skid to 0 for 15.

HOT HOT HOT

Calhoun stretched his hitting streak to a season-high seven games. In six of those games, he has had multiple hits. He is batting .441 (15-for-34) during the streak. Calhoun has five RBIs in the series’ first two games.

Texas CF Leonys Martin is 10-for-20 (.500) in his last five games, including two singles on Saturday.

SUPERLATIVES

Lewis struck out 10 batters for the first time since June 17, 2012. The 10-year veteran’s career high is 12, posted May 10, 2012.

Kendrick’s home run was his ninth in Arlington — the most he has hit in any road ballpark.

Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Don’t Settle for Student Loans to Pay for Online Education

By WTOP Staff
Online college programs are becoming a more popular choice for prospective students, with one study finding that more than 6 million students enrolled in at least one online course in fall 2015. The popularity of these courses can be attributed in part to their flexibility with working adults' schedules, students' ability to progress more quickly through online programs and, oftentimes, cheaper tuition. [See 10 low-cost online bachelor's programs for out-of-state students.]Online degrees can be beneficial to many college students, but some studies have shown online learners complete their programs at lower rates than students at traditional brick-and-mortar campuses. Individuals with student loans but no degree comprise two-thirds of defaulted borrowers. Though these numbers are not encouraging, just like for traditional programs, there are ways to reduce how much you'll need to borrow for an online program to ensure you won't become one of these statistics. Don't just settle on borrowing student loans to cover the whole cost of your program and living expenses. Instead, start thinking about how to cut costs and cover your balance in different ways, such as the following. -- Grants and scholarships: Even though you are taking an online course, you can still apply and receive grants and scholarships. But your first step should be to complete the Free Application for Federal Student Aid, commonly referred to as the FAFSA, which will allow you to receive a Pell Grant if your expected family contribution is low enough. The EFC criteria and award amounts are adjusted annually, but the 2017-2018 academic year awards range from $606 to $5,920, which could significantly lower the amount you borrow annually. Your next step is to apply for scholarships. You can start by checking online scholarship search engines, such as the Salt Scholarship Search, College Board's BigFuture and Peterson's. But don't forget to take advantage of local organizations and your school's financial aid office. Both may offer scholarships that you can't find with a national scholarship search. [Review these 10 sites to kick off your scholarship search.]For instance, organizations like the Elks Club, Knights of Columbus or the Rotary Club typically offer scholarships annually to local students. Just because you're going to school online doesn't mean you're ineligible. Visit your local library for scholarship listings, and ask around town. You might be surprised how many local organizations offer scholarships. While these scholarships typically aren't large, every little bit counts. Each dollar you receive in a scholarship is a dollar you don't have to borrow and pay interest on. -- Work-study: Another option for online students may be work-study awards. Not all students enrolled in online programs are eligible, but students at some schools -- including, for example, SUNY Empire State College and Liberty University -- are. Work-study awards are not given upfront like scholarships and grants. In most cases, they are an offer to earn up to the awarded amount if you secure an eligible work-study job. While there is a misconception that all work-study jobs must be on campus, students can work for off-campus, nonprofit or public employers as long as the work is in the public's interest. You may be able to work for a for-profit employer if the job is relevant to your course of study. No matter who the outside employer is, it will need to have an established agreement with your college for you to receive work-study funds. Remember, to be eligible for federal financial aid, you must be enrolled and pursuing a degree or certificate. If you're not working toward a credential, Pell Grants and work-study won't be option, but you may still be able to take advantage of private scholarships -- just be sure to read the eligibility criteria carefully. [Explore what to know about financial aid in online programs.]-- Pay as you go: One of the great benefits to enrolling online is the flexible schedule, which can allow you to complete your college coursework around your responsibilities. But prospective students often overlook using their part- or full-time job earnings as an option for paying for college. Almost 80 percent of college students in 2015 worked at least part time while attending classes, according to the National Center for Education Statistics. By budgeting and thinking strategically about your college costs, you can likely reduce your dependence on student loans by paying a portion out of pocket. Many -- but not all -- online programs are less expensive than traditional programs and often have shorter payment periods. Six, eight or 10 weeks are common course durations. Because of the frequency of payments in an online setting, you may be well-placed to pay as you go and possibly avoid borrowing altogether. Attending college online and avoiding student loans may be challenging, but if you are willing to put in the effort, you can limit the amount you need to borrow. More from U.S. News Q&A: Understanding Student Loan Discharge Eligibility Student Loan Refinancing Isn't Right for All Borrowers
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