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Brewers’ Peralta hit hard by Giants in 13-2 loss

By WTOP Staff

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — With the pennant race heating up in the NL Central, Milwaukee pitcher Wily Peralta has suddenly cooled off.

For the second consecutive start, the Brewers’ 15-game winner was knocked around. This time, Peralta lasted just three innings in the shortest outing of his career.

Peralta surrendered six runs on nine hits and Milwaukee lost for the sixth time in eight games, falling to the San Francisco Giants 13-2 on Friday night.

“I fell behind pretty much everybody (and) that’s what you’re going to get,” said Peralta, who walked two and struck out one. “I have to get back to my thing that I was doing early in the season and just work hard. The past two starts have been terrible.”

Peralta (15-9) was tagged for seven earned runs in five innings during his previous start before getting roughed up by the Giants.

Buster Posey went 5 for 5 and drove in three runs , Gregor Blanco hit a two-run homer to back Ryan Vogelsong’s first victory in four starts and the Giants scored a season high in runs and have their longest winning streak since five straight victories in early June.

“We need to get (Peralta) right, get him back where he’s going deep in games and keeping the run total down,” Milwaukee manager Ron Roenicke said. “They racked up a lot of hits off of him in not very many innings. That’s not a good sign.”

Help could be on the way for the Brewers’ pitching staff.

Right-hander Matt Garza pitched a simulated game in what likely was his final test before returning from the disabled list to the rotation next week.

As long as Garza comes through the outing without further problems when he reports to AT&T Park on Saturday, he could start as soon as Thursday at home against St. Louis.

Milwaukee scored its only runs on Lyle Overbay’s RBI groundout in the second and a sacrifice fly by Carlos Gomez in the fifth.

The Giants’ 19 hits were their second most in the 15-year history of AT&T Park behind 20 on Aug. 14, 2001, against the Marlins.

Vogelsong (8-9) snapped an 0-5 skid at home, where he had received zero runs of support in each of his previous five outings at AT&T Park. He gave up two runs and four hits in seven innings.

Hunter Pence extended the NL’s longest active hitting streak to 11 games with his first-inning RBI single.

The Giants scored in each of the first five innings at home for the first time since June 13, 2012, when Matt Cain pitched a perfect game.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Giants: C Hector Sanchez hopes to have recovered well enough from two concussions to be able to play a month of winter ball back home in Venezuela, even if he is a designated hitter or 1B. Manager Bruce Bochy is rooting for that scenario to give Sanchez more at-bats considering his time missed this season. He’s unlikely to play again in 2014.

UP NEXT

Brewers: RHP Mike Fiers (4-1, 1.54), 4-0 with a 1.29 ERA as a starter, makes his fifth start and ninth appearance in the middle game of the series. The Brewers’ next victory will match their season total from last year.

Giants: RHP Jake Peavy (2-4, 3.18) faces the Brewers for the third time this season looking for his first win after two outings while with Boston. … RHP Yusmeiro Petit, who set a major league record by retiring 46 consecutive batters, will remain in the rotation after his win Thursday pitching in place of struggling RHP Tim Lincecum.

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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