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Trout hits 32nd homer as Angels sweep Twins, 14-4

By WTOP Staff

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Los Angeles Angels have been winning lately with contributions from different players each game. On Sunday, everyone took a turn.

Mike Trout, Howie Kendrick and C.J. Cron all homered, C.J. Wilson earned his 11th win, and the major league-leading Angels routed Minnesota 14-4 to complete a season sweep of the last-place Twins.

Almost every Angels starter had a hit, and six drove in runs. Kendrick led the way with three hits and four RBIs. Trout, Cron and Chris Iannetta each drove in a pair of runs, and the AL West leaders had a season-high 19 hits to complete their fifth four-game sweep this season, extending a franchise record.

“We’ve been winning ballgames. I think that’s kind of the key thing whether we get a lot of hits or a couple of hits, all it comes down to is winning the game,” Kendrick said.

The Angels finished the season 7-0 against Minnesota.

With the outcome virtually assured in the eighth, the game resembled a spring training matchup with each team trotting out seldom-used youngsters. Shawn O’Malley got a hit in his first major league at-bat in the ninth off Minnesota reliever Caleb Thielbar.

“They kept swinging, the ball kept flying,” Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. “Just one of those days.”

Wilson (11-9) overcame some early struggles to limit Minnesota to four hits while striking out six in 6 1-3 innings. He walked three straight batters to start the second. All three came around to score, giving Minnesota a 3-1 lead, but Wilson retired 13 of his next 14 hitters.

“After the first two innings, you look up and I think he had over 50 pitches, wasn’t out of the second yet,” manager Mike Scioscia said. “And then he ends up going though, almost finishing the seventh. That says a lot.”

Trout’s two-run homer in the third off rookie Logan Darnell (0-2) tied it.

“Especially after we scored, we got those runs back, I felt like, OK, we’re going to score runs today,” Wilson said.

And did they ever. Kendrick had a two-run triple in the fifth, and Cron launched a two-run shot off reliever A.J. Achter in a six-run sixth. Chris Iannetta’s two-run single made it 12-3.

The Angels added a pair of runs off reliever Ryan Pressly in the seventh on RBI singles by O’Malley and Kendrick.

Kennys Vargas hit a 451-foot homer in the eighth off Los Angeles reliever Vinnie Pestano to make it 14-4. Wade LeBlanc pitched a scoreless ninth for the Angels.

“We hung in there the first three days and had chances. Today they just dominated us,” Gardenhire said.

GOING CYCLING?

Kendrick went 10 for 18 with two doubles, two triples, a home run, three runs and eight RBIs in the series. He needed a double on Sunday to hit for the cycle; on Saturday night, he needed a homer. “It’d have been cool to do it, but at the same time it’s part of the game,” Kendrick said. “I knew once we went up by quite a few runs, Mike was going to make a couple changes. That was part of the game.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Angels: LF Josh Hamilton (shoulder) was a late scratch and missed his third straight game since leaving Thursday night’s game. Hamilton was supposed to bat cleanup, but was pulled about an hour before the first pitch, forcing Scioscia to reshuffle his lineup. “He felt good the first round of BP and then it started to stiffen up a little bit,” the manager said, adding the team will re-evaluate Hamilton on Monday.

Twins: CF Jordan Schafer (bruised ribs) felt better after taking some practice swings and was available off the bench. Minnesota closer Glen Perkins (neck) and SS Danny Santana (back) are still day to day. Gardenhire said the team doesn’t expect Santana to miss too many games after straining his lower back while throwing home on Saturday night. Perkins will likely play catch on Tuesday.

UP NEXT

The Angels make a quick detour to Cleveland for a makeup game Monday before heading to Texas for a three-game series. Angels RHP Jered Weaver (15-8) is 8-2 with a 3.44 ERA in his last 15 starts. He’ll face RHP Danny Salazar (6-6).

The Twins have Monday off before heading to Cleveland for a three-game series. RHP Trevor May (1-4) faces Indians righty Trevor Bauer (5-7).

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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