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Hudson pitches in bigs for 1st time since 2012

By WTOP Staff

BERNIE WILSON
AP Sports Writer

SAN DIEGO (AP) — Daniel Hudson needed a moment alone in the dugout to comprehend his long road back from two reconstructive elbow operations.

It had been more than two years since he threw a pitch in the big leagues, and he did just fine Wednesday night, tossing a perfect inning in the Arizona Diamondbacks’ 6-1 victory against the San Diego Padres.

He was still a bit emotional afterward.

“It was great. It was a lot of fun. I don’t really have much to say. It’s just a lot of emotions right now. I’m just glad I was able to get in there. It went as well as it could have,” Hudson said.

Asked what he was thinking as he ran in from the bullpen, he said: “I hadn’t done this in a long time and it’s a lot farther than I remember. Again, I don’t really know what I was thinking. I was thinking so many different things: Please let this go better than the last time — and thankfully it did.”

He retired the side on 13 pitches in the eighth inning. Hudson, who won 16 games for Arizona in 2011, was warmly greeted by his teammates when he reached the dugout.

“I couldn’t really sit down. It was a lot of different emotions. I wish I could explain them all but I can’t,” he said.

Hudson became the fourth pitcher to undergo Tommy John surgery in consecutive years and return to the majors.

“Even if I go out tomorrow and it blows again, it was all worth it,” he said. “It was a long time coming. Thankfully today came.”

Hudson hadn’t pitched since June 26, 2012, when he originally tore his ulnar collateral ligament. He underwent surgery 15 days later, performed by the late Dr. Lewis Yocum. Hudson tore the ligament again during a rehab start with Double-A Mobile on June 4, 2013, and was operated on two weeks later by Dr. James Andrews.

“It’s a long road back. He’s loved by teammates and everybody’s pulling for him,” manager Kirk Gibson said. “He handled his emotions very well. Threw the ball well, good velocity. Kept it down for the most part and let his fielders take care of the balls.”

David Peralta had two RBI hits for Arizona and Josh Collmenter (10-7) won his third straight start, holding San Diego to one run and five hits in seven innings. He struck out three and walked two.

The Diamondbacks scored three runs, two of them unearned, against Andrew Cashner (2-7) in an eventful fifth inning that included two hits, a walk, two fielder’s choices, a call at the plate that stood after a 2 1/2-minute review, a botched rundown and a runner called out on interference.

Collmenter came up with runners on second and third and one out and hit a grounder to rookie second baseman Corey Spangenberg, whose throw to the plate was just late enough to allow Alfredo Marte to score. Padres manager Bud Black challenged, but the call was confirmed.

That put runners on first and third. Ender Inciarte grounded to first baseman Yasmani Grandal, who threw home to catch Didi Gregorius in a rundown. But third baseman Yangervis Solarte appeared to be going for a quick tag and missed the throw from catcher Rene Rivera. The ball rolled into left field for an error, allowing Gregorius to score.

With Inciarte on second and Collmenter on third and the infield in, Chris Owings hit a grounder to shortstop Alexi Amarista, and Inciarte was called out for interference. Peralta then singled to bring in Collmenter.

Peralta tripled in Owings in the first.

Cashner allowed four runs, two earned, and five hits in seven innings. He struck out five and walked one.

“He threw the ball fine,” Black said. “When you look at it, he was the victim of some circumstance there in the fifth inning. It was a well-pitched game. That inning got away from us a little bit.”

PERALTA’S PERFORMANCE

Peralta had his 28th multihit game of the season and got his 27th extra-base hit. His nine triples are the most by a rookie since Bryce Harper of the Nationals had nine in 2012.

BIG LEAGUE DEBUTS

Padres reliever Leonel Campos made his major league debut when he entered with one out in the eighth, retiring both batters he faced. R.J. Alvarez then made his big league debut when he entered to start the ninth. He allowed one run and one hit with two walks in two-thirds of an inning.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Diamondbacks: Doug Brocail, Mike Lincoln and Denny Stark are the other pitchers who had Tommy John surgery in consecutive seasons and returned to the big leagues.

Padres: Black said SS Everth Cabrera’s balky hamstring isn’t quite ready for him to be sent out on a rehab assignment.

UP NEXT

Diamondbacks: Randall Delgado (2-3, 5.85 ERA) will make his first start since April 10 at San Francisco. He’s made two relief appearances against San Diego this season.

Padres: Ian Kennedy (10-11, 3.65) faces his old teammates for the third time this season and fifth time since he was traded from Arizona to San Diego last 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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