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Rockies earn first four-game winning streak at SF

By WTOP Staff

JANIE McCAULEY
AP Baseball Writer

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — For years, the Colorado Rockies would lose the close ones in San Francisco.

Those fortunes have changed in 2014.

Tyler Matzek struck out seven in seven innings to end a five-start losing streak, and the Rockies capitalized on San Francisco’s mistakes to beat the Giants 3-2 on Monday night for their third straight win.

The Rockies have won four straight games in San Francisco for the first time in club history, kicking off a stretch of 13 straight games against the NL West with an impressive victory.

“It’s been a house of horrors for us for a long time,” manager Walt Weiss said. “It’s great to see us winning some games here, some tight games, some games that in the past we used to lose, those one-run games like tonight.”

Matzek did his part, and his defense turned four double plays.

“We’ve got a great defense,” Matzek said. “They played well tonight. It’s good to go out there and help the team win.”

In his 14th major league start and first facing the Giants, Matzek (3-9) won for the first time since beating Pittsburgh on July 26 and recorded his first victory versus the division. The left-hander won away from Coors Field for the first time in eight road appearances and seven starts after beginning 0-5.

Matzek outdueled Jake Peavy (2-4), who had won his previous two starts following three straight losses after being acquired in a trade from Boston on July 26. Matzek was efficient in a 90-pitch outing.

Justin Morneau and Corey Dickerson hit sacrifice flies for the Rockies, who earned just their fourth road win in 27 games since sweeping a three-game series at AT&T Park from June 13-15.

San Francisco manager Bruce Bochy was ejected in the eighth by plate umpire Doug Eddings for arguing a called third strike on Buster Posey. Bochy removed his hat in frustration from the dugout and got tossed before he even got out to argue. He left to chants of “Bochy! Bochy!”

“That’s a critical pitch,” Bochy said. “You got Posey up there and that’s a tough way to end that at-bat.”

Adam Ottavino pitched a scoreless eighth and LaTroy Hawkins finished for his 21st save in 22 opportunities.

Colorado tied it in the fourth following consecutive wild throws for errors by shortstop Brandon Crawford, then Peavy’s balk that scored a run. Crawford’s 20 errors lead the majors at his position.

“I was just picking my leg up. Morneau couldn’t have timed it any better,” Peavy said. “As I was picking my leg up he started to go and everybody (was saying) ‘step off, step off.’ I tried to hop off the back of the mound.”

Andrew Susac homered for the Giants, who missed a chance at their first three-game home winning streak since taking five straight from May 28-June 8.

They saved a run on replay review in the seventh.

Bochy challenged that D.J. LeMahieu beat Susac’s tag on a close play at the plate. Right fielder Hunter Pence threw home on Charlie Blackmon’s two-out single.

The call was overturned in 2 minutes, 48 seconds, ending the inning. Peavy was irate initially.

“A crazy night all the way around,” he said.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK

Rockies INF Nolan Arenado was named NL Player of the Week after going 12 for 22 with a pair of home runs and three RBIs. “It means a lot,” Arenado said. “It’s nice to be noticed when you have some success. The credit goes to my teammates for me getting the opportunities.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Rockies: C Wilin Rosario was not in the starting lineup for the fourth straight day with a sore left wrist. He tested the injury before the game in the batting cage. “I’m still feeling it, but it’s not as bad as it was,” he said. “Any day could be the day (to return).”

Giants: 2B Marco Scutaro will miss the remainder of the season with a recurring strained back that has limited him to five games all season. He is home in Florida resting. … 1B Brandon Belt (concussion) won’t do baseball activity for another couple of weeks. He hasn’t played since Aug. 6. C Hector Sanchez was in Pittsburgh being evaluated for his own concussion.

UP NEXT

Rockies: LHP Jorge De La Rosa (13-8, 4.21 ERA) looks to win his third straight start. He has lost his last four to San Francisco.

Giants: LHP Madison Bumgarner (14-9, 3.17) makes his fifth start of 2014 against the Rockies having gone 1-1. He struck out nine in seven innings vs. Colorado last time, in a no-decision June 15 at AT&T Park.

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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