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Taveras gets two hits in Cardinals’ loss to Padres

By WTOP Staff

WARREN MAYES
Associated Press

ST. LOUIS (AP) — A two-day trip to the bench has seemed to work wonders for St. Louis outfielder Oscar Taveras.

The highly touted rookie had two hits on Saturday night in the Cardinals’ 9-5 loss to San Diego.

Taveras did not start on Thursday and Friday while mired in a 3-for-23 skid. He did pinch-hit in Friday night’s win and had an RBI single.

That effort helped him wrestle the starting spot back from Shane Robinson.

“I used those days off to work hard in the cage, and work hard with the coaches,” Taveras said through an interpreter. “I think it helped. I felt pretty comfortable out there tonight.”

Taveras, who was recalled on July 1 for the second time this season, doubled in Jhonny Peralta in the second inning Saturday night to give the Cardinals a 2-0 lead. He also singled in the sixth.

“I’m not swinging at bad pitches, like I was before,” he said.

Taveras is hitting .219 with two homers and 14 RBIs. He had a seven-game hitting streak from July 31-August 7. He said he feels as though he is close to regaining that form.

“I hope I’ve got things going again,” he said.

Jedd Gyorko got it going for the Padres with his third career grand slam and drove in five runs.

Gyorko’s eighth homer came on an 0-1 pitch from Kevin Siegrist (1-3) with one out in the seventh. The Padres had loaded the bases on two singles and a walk before Gyorko’s drive to left.

Rain then halted play later in the inning. The game was delayed 1 hour, 46 minutes and only a handful of the crowd of 44,079 stayed to watch the finish.

The Cardinals, who had won three in a row, dropped three games back of Milwaukee for the NL Central lead. The Brewers beat Clayton Kershaw and the Dodgers 3-2.

Alex Torres (2-1) earned the win when he got the last out in the sixth in relief of rookie starter Jesse Hahn. San Diego won for the sixth time in its last eight games.

“We get some offensive production early on; it’s hard to see that go away,” St. Louis manager Mike Matheny said. “We had two really rough innings that made for a bad day.”

Matt Adams’ two-out RBI triple in the fifth gave St. Louis a 5-4 lead. It was Adams’ team-high fifth triple.

The Cardinals struck for four runs in the second. Peralta hit a run-scoring double down the left-field line and scored on Taveras’ one-out double that hit just in front of the wall in center.

Matt Carpenter added a two-run double for the Cardinals. Rymer Liriano tried to catch the line drive but it landed in front of him and bounced by him.

But San Diego got the runs back against Shelby Miller in the third.

Gyorko had an RBI single and rookie Jake Goebbert hit a bases-loaded triple with two down.

“You get a four-run lead you don’t go out and give up four runs,” Miller said. “Unacceptable. Obviously, it doesn’t sit well with me. I should have done a better job of making pitches.”

Seth Smith’s third hit in the eighth drove the Padres’ final run.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Padres: 3B Yangervis Solarte returned to the lineup after missing two games with a mild left oblique strain. He was the leadoff spot, the third time he has done so this season.

Cardinals: RHP Michael Wacha (right shoulder) threw off the bullpen mound before the game. He threw 30 pitches. He had not pitched off a mound since his June 17 start against the New York Mets. He will undergo an MRI on Monday to check the shoulder.

TARGET PRACTICE

St. Louis CF Jon Jay was hit twice by a pitch. He also was hit by a pitch twice Friday, giving him four in two games. He leads the major leagues with 14 hit by pitches.

CARDINALS HALL OF FAME

Willie McGee, Jim Edmonds, Mike Shannon and the late Marty Marion were honored Saturday with their induction into St. Louis’ newly created Cardinals Hall of Fame.

UP NEXT

Rookie RHP Odrisamer Despaigne (3-3, 2.72 ERA) faces Cardinals ace Adam Wainwright (14-7, 2.34 ERA) in the finale of the four-game series Sunday. Despaigne pitched seven scoreless innings in a victory over Colorado in his previous start. Wainwright is 5-2 with a 1.47 ERA against the Padres. He is coming off a 3-0 loss at Miami in his last outing.

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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