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Rockies fall to the Royals 7-4

By WTOP Staff

MICHAEL KELLY
Associated Press

DENVER (AP) — The Colorado Rockies got the starting pitching performance they needed, it just wasn’t enough against the hottest team in baseball.

Rookie Tyler Matzek had his best outing in nearly a month but faltered in the seventh inning. That opened the door for the Kansas City Royals, who scored three times each in the seventh and eighth to beat the Rockies 7-4 on Tuesday night.

Omar Infante had three doubles and drove in four runs for the Royals, who have now won 22 of 27 after getting to Matzek in the seventh.

“He did a nice job tonight, getting deep into the game,” Rockies manager Walt Weiss said of Matzek. “So he’s making strides. We’re seeing him develop in front of our eyes. He’s done a nice job this year. He’s a guy that’s stepped up for us.”

He couldn’t sustain it, however. Matzek (2-9) came into Tuesday with a 9.60 ERA in August but was having his best start since blanking Pittsburgh over seven innings on July 26 when he ran into trouble with two outs in the seventh. Matzek got the first two outs before allowing a pinch-hit single to Josh Willingham and walking Nori Aoki.

Adam Ottavino came on and gave up consecutive doubles to Infante and Salvador Perez to give the Royals a 4-2 lead.

“I know he’s trying to play pepper up there,” Ottavino said of Infante. “My intent was to throw it really high. I mis-executed it and he slapped it down the line.”

The Royals scored three more runs in the eighth off Colorado’s bullpen. Infante had a two-run double off Nick Masset after lefty Rex Brothers loaded the bases and walked in a run.

“Hasn’t had his great command,” Weiss said of Brothers. “He’s gotten in a lot of deep counts, high pitch counts. Put the first couple guys away real quick and then struggled.”

It was the second time in his career Infante has had three doubles in a game. The last time, May 27, 2004, came against the Royals when he was playing for Detroit.

That made a winner of Shields (12-6), who allowed two runs on nine hits and struck out six. He wasn’t sharp, allowing base runners in every inning but his last and struck out Drew Stubbs with the bases loaded to end the fourth.

Stubbs and Nolan Arenado each had three hits and a home run for Colorado.

Arenado went deep in the fifth to give Colorado a 2-1 lead and Stubbs hit a two-run homer in the ninth, when the Rockies mounted a rally. Greg Holland came on and threw one pitch to record his 39th save in 40 chances.

“They get a lead after six innings, they pretty much wipe you out,” Weiss said. “That’s been the formula for them this year. Guys come in throwing in the upper 90s and throwing strikes.”

Justin Morneau, back in the lineup after missing two games with a stiff neck, gave Colorado a 1-0 lead with a double-play grounder in the first.

Kansas City tied it in the fourth on Lorenzo Cain’s RBI double to.

STREAK STOPPER

Rockies OF Corey Dickerson, who was named the NL Player of the Week on Monday, saw his 12-game hitting streak stopped. He had a chance to extend it in the ninth but flew out to left field to end the game.

“I caught it OK but kind of towards the end of my bat and just kind of popped it up instead of driving it,” Dickerson said.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Rockies: OF Michael Cuddyer was scratched from the lineup with a sore left hamstring. Manager Walt Weiss said it wasn’t a long-term issue, adding that playing a doubleheader Sunday led to the soreness. Cuddyer hit for the cycle in the second game of the Rockies’ sweep.

UP NEXT

Rockies: Colorado’s lone bright spot on the mound, LHP Jorge De La Rosa, will face his former team Wednesday. De La Rosa (12-8) made 33 starts for the Royals in 2006-07 before joining the Rockies. He has accounted for a quarter of Colorado’s wins this season.

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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