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Dickerson homers twice, Rockies beat Giants 9-2

By WTOP Staff

DENNIS GEORGATOS
Associated Press

DENVER (AP) — Up-and-coming youngsters Nolan Arenado and Corey Dickerson are helping to fill Colorado’s power vacuum in the absence of injured sluggers Troy Tulowitzki and Carlos Gonzalez.

Arenado hit a go-ahead, three-run homer and Dickerson followed with his second long ball of the game to lead the Rockies past the San Francisco Giants 9-2 on Wednesday.

“It’s nice to know that we’ve got some young guys here than can make an impact,” Arenado said. “Obviously, the experience level, we don’t have it like Tulo and CarGo, but the chemistry is good with young guys. They want to play hard and they want to win.”

Dickerson said getting the chance to play now and producing will help the Rockies down the road.

“Those guys that are hurt, they’re All-Stars and they’re going to be All-Stars every year,” Dickerson said. “For us to be able to produce at this level right now is good for us because that gives us that much more confidence going into next year.”

Another young player, Christian Bergman (2-2), pitched six sharp innings and limited the Giants to two runs on nine hits while helping the Rockies take the season series 10-9. It is the first time Colorado has won the season series with its NL West rival since going 11-7 against the Giants in 2008.

Ryan Vogelsong (8-10) was roughed up for a career-high four home runs among 10 hits allowed in five-plus innings. He gave up eight runs, matching a career high, in another tough outing at Coors Field. Vogelsong gave up three homers and five runs in 1 1-3 innings during his last appearance at Colorado on April 21.

“I’ve seen plenty of games here to know the ball flies, especially during the day,” Vogelsong said. “And every kind of bloop shot falls in, because the guys got to play so deep. Their infield grass is really quick, too, so it seems like a lot of groundballs get through that in most places don’t. You combine that all together and it can make for a long day.”

Buster Posey drove in both San Francisco runs with a sacrifice fly and an RBI single.

With Colorado up 5-2, Michael McKenry started a four-run sixth by connecting on a 3-2 offering from Vogelsong for his sixth home run of the season. D.J. LeMahieu and pinch-hitter Kyle Parker hit successive singles, and Juan Gutierrez relieved Vogelsong. One out later, Josh Rutledge tripled both runners home.

Vogelsong was trying to protect a 2-1 lead in the fifth when he issued a two-out walk to Rutledge. Justin Morneau singled and Arenado connected for his 15th home run with a drive into the left-field bleachers.

Dickerson, who led off the second with a shot into the second deck above the Rockies bullpen for his first homer, followed by driving Vogelsong’s first pitch over the left-field fence for his 22nd of the season and second career multihomer game. It was the third time this season Rockies batters have gone back-to-back, and the first since Troy Tulowitzki and Dickerson did it May 10 at Cincinnati.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Giants: CF Angel Pagan was a late scratch from the lineup because of back stiffness. OF Michael Morse missed a third consecutive game since straining his oblique during batting practice Monday. Manager Bruce Bochy has said Morse will likely miss the upcoming series in Detroit but could be ready to go when the Giants return to San Francisco next week. 3B Pablo Sandoval was given a day off by Bochy, who described his rugged infielder as “pretty beat up.”

Rockies: OF-INF Michael Cuddyer (strained left hamstring) has resumed baseball activities and expects to be ready to come off the 15-day disabled list when he’s eligible on Monday.

UP NEXT

Giants: After an off day in Detroit, RHP Jake Peavy (3-4) will pitch the opener of a three-game set against the Tigers in his eighth start for San Francisco since being acquired from Boston in late July.

Rockies: Following an off day Thursday for the team, LHP Tyler Matzek (4-9) will go for a third consecutive win against San Diego.

NOTES AND NUGGETS

Giants: The last San Francisco pitcher to give up four home runs in a game was Matt Cain on May 18, 2008, against the Chicago White Sox. … Hunter Pence extended his hitting streak to 16 games with a first-inning single.

Rockies: Dickerson has been involved all three times the Rockies have homered in consecutive at-bats 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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