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Delgado, 4 relievers lead D-backs past Padres 5-1

By WTOP Staff

BERNIE WILSON
AP Sports Writer

SAN DIEGO (AP) — If this month is going to be a 2015 audition for Randall Delgado, the Arizona Diamondbacks right-hander is off to a good start.

Delgado and four relievers combined on a four-hitter, and A.J. Pollock had three hits to help the Diamondbacks beat the San Diego Padres 5-1 Thursday night.

Delgado’s outing marked the start of the Diamondbacks going to a six-man rotation. Delgado (3-3) started on April 4 and 10, and then made 37 appearances as a reliever.

He came into the game with a 5.85 ERA and held San Diego to two hits in five scoreless innings. He struck out two and walked none.

“First of all, we are happy for the win. I tried to be calm and tried to make quality pitches,” Delgado said. “I felt good today. Good defense behind me. I didn’t try to do much.”

Delgado threw 61 pitches. It was his first career start without allowing a run or walk.

“I think it was the first one in a long time. I felt good about what I did today,” he said.

Going to a six-man rotation allows the Diamondbacks to reduce the number of innings for some of their young pitchers and gives others, like Delgado, a chance to win a job for next year.

“Pretty efficient. He just really featured all of his pitches,” manager Kirk Gibson said. “Real good performance.”

The Diamondbacks won for the fourth time in seven games, including the final two of this four-game series in which they outscored the Padres 11-2.

Ian Kennedy (10-12) had a miserable night against his former team, allowing four runs and 10 hits in 5 1-3 innings while striking out two and walking two.

Kennedy threw 65 pitches through three innings, falling behind 4-0. He allowed five hits in the three-run second, including RBI base hits by Didi Gregorius and Ender Inciarte. Another run scored on rookie third baseman Cory Spangenberg’s throwing error.

“I was leaking stuff over the plate early on,” Kennedy said. “Made some tough pitches and they put some balls in play that allowed those runs to score in the second inning.

“For the most part, early on, I didn’t have my best command early in the counts,” he said. “I made tough pitches, but overall I didn’t have my command. My curveball wasn’t that sharp or my changeup, and I didn’t have command of my fastball early on.”

Miguel Montero added an RBI single in the third, and Aaron Hill had an RBI double off Blaine Boyer in the seventh.

San Diego loaded the bases with no outs in the eighth against Matt Stites and scored just one run. Oliver Perez came on and threw a wild pitch that brought in San Diego’s only run, and then struck out the side.

HOT CORNER

Arizona’s Aaron Hill started at third base for the first time since his rookie season of 2005 with Toronto. He made a great play in the fifth, laying out to make a backhanded catch of Rene Rivera’s liner.

“It was fun. I was hoping for a little more action, but I guess that means our pitchers were doing a great job,” he said.

Hill is at third so the Diamondbacks can see if Didi Gregorius and Chris Owings is how they want to go up the middle next year.

DIAMONDBACKS NUMBERS

Arizona has allowed three runs or fewer in eight straight games, the club’s longest streak since doing so in nine consecutive games from Sept. 25, 2005, to April 5, 2006.

The Diamondbacks also won their first season series against San Diego since 2011, going 12-7.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Diamondbacks: Gibson on the return Wednesday night of RHP Daniel Hudson from two Tommy John surgeries: “To see him out there again was very powerful.”

Padres: Manager Bud Black said SS Everth Cabrera, on the disabled list with a strained left hamstring, won’t make the weekend trip to Colorado but will join the team in Los Angeles and be re-evaluated there.

UP NEXT

Diamondbacks: Arizona buses up the freeway to face the Los Angeles Dodgers for three games, with Vidal Nuno (0-3, 3.23 ERA) scheduled to start Friday night.

Padres: LHP Eric Stults (6-15, 4.56) is scheduled to start the opener of a three-game series at Colorado. He’s allowed three or fewer earned runs in 11 of his last 13 starts since June 17.

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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