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Houston rallies for 4-3 victory at Oakland

By WTOP Staff

RICK EYMER
Associated Press

OAKAND, Calif. (AP) — Houston’s streak of 100-loss seasons is over.

The Astros scored two runs in the ninth without a hit, including Dexter Fowler’s bases-loaded walk for the tiebreaking run, and beat the Oakland Athletics 4-3 on Sunday.

Jose Veras (4-0) pitched 1 2-3 scoreless innings as the Astros (63-80) took the rubber game of the weekend series. The victory means Houston will avoid triple-digit losses for the first time since it went 76-86 in 2010.

“It says we’re going in the right direction,” interim manager Tom Lawless said. “We’re making strides and we want to continue to improve. We want to be the team at the top.”

Astros starter Dallas Keuchel allowed three runs, two earned, and eight hits in 6 2-3 innings. The left-hander is 0-2 with a 3.14 ERA in his last seven starts, keeping him at 10 wins for the year.

“I can be stuck at 10 the rest of the season as long as it means we’re winning.” Keuchel said. “We’re playing relaxed right now and that’s a great thing. This is supposed to be a fun game and for the past two or three years we haven’t made it fun. Guys are more relaxed now and we’re pretty happy.”

Keuchel retired his first nine hitters. He has given up just seven earned runs in 29 innings for a 2.17 ERA against the A’s this year.

Nate Freiman hit a two-run homer in the seventh to give the A’s a 3-2 lead. Oakland went on to load the bases but Veras wiggled out of the jam.

A’s reliever Ryan Cook (1-3) came on to pitch the ninth and lost the strike zone. He walked three of his four batters before Fernando Abad came in and gave up a sacrifice fly to Jake Marisnick.

“That was awesome,” Marisnick said. “Yesterday was a bitter pill to swallow but we came back, forgot about it, and won. We’re trying to prove we’re here to stay.”

Jose Altuve, who went 1 for 4 to extend his hitting streak to 14 games, was walked intentionally. Abad then walked Fowler on a full count to force in the winning run.

“We have been playing well and we’re having a good season,” Altuve said. “We still think we can finish strong.”

Tony Sipp got the first two outs in the bottom half, and Josh Fields struck out Josh Donaldson for his third save.

The Athletics won 4-3 on Saturday when they scored three runs in the ninth inning. Jed Lowrie had a game-ending RBI single.

“I felt like we gave one away yesterday and today we stole one,” Lawless said. “We had some good, quality at bats and made them throw strikes. They struggled with that in the ninth.”

Coco Crisp and Lowrie had three hits apiece for Oakland, and Derek Norris drove in a run. The A’s fell seven games back of the AL West-leading Angels.

Oakland’s Jason Hammel allowed two runs and five hits in 6 2-3 innings. He walked one and struck out seven, five of them on called strikes.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Astros: RHP Matt Albers (right shoulder tendinitis) is on a throwing program though it appears he won’t return this season. … OF George Springer (left quadriceps strain) could rejoin the Astros for their final homestand.

UP NEXT

RHP Brad Peacock (4-8, 5.01 ERA) will start Monday night when the Astros open a series in Seattle against the Mariners.

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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