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Wainwright, Cardinals beat up Brewers 9-1

By WTOP Staff

GENARO C. ARMAS
AP Sports Writer

MILWAUKEE (AP) — The Brewers had finally gotten to Adam Wainwright in the ninth when St. Louis manager Mike Matheny came to the mound to check if his ace right-hander was tiring.

Matheny didn’t expect an honest answer. Wainwright stayed in the game anyway.

Wainwright got Gerardo Parra to bounce into a double play for his fourth complete game of the season, and the Cardinals beat sliding Milwaukee 9-1 on Sunday.

“I told him he had a short leash. I’m still waiting for that day when I go out there and he’s actually honest if he doesn’t feel good,” Matheny said.

The Cardinals won three of four at Miller Park and lead the NL Central by 4 1/2 games over Pittsburgh, which beat Chicago 10-4 at Wrigley Field on Sunday.

“Now’s the time we’ve got to keep the throttle down,” Matheny said. “This game can reach up and grab you.”

The Brewers are well aware of how quickly fortunes can change. Losers of 11 of 12, their freefall continued after spending nearly five months atop the NL Central before dropping into second on Sept. 1.

They fell into third after Sunday’s loss, leapfrogged by Pittsburgh. The Pirates also moved a half-game ahead of Milwaukee for the second NL wild card.

“There’s no excuse … it’s tough,” outfielder Carlos Gomez said. “We know we’re not playing like a team. Just put it in the past and come tomorrow and win the … game.”

St. Louis grabbed a 4-0 lead with four in the fourth against rookie Jimmy Nelson (2-7). Peter Bourjos had the big blow, a triple to left-center that drove in Yadier Molina and Oscar Taveras.

It was more than enough support for Wainwright (17-9), who is tied for the major league lead in victories. The right-hander allowed seven hits in his 20th career complete game.

Wainwright had allowed at least three runs in each of his previous three starts, failing to get out of the sixth each time.

But feast-or-famine Milwaukee managed just an RBI single by Gomez.

“Today was obviously a big win for our team, but you know just a realization of all the little steps I’ve been taking over the last few weeks — I knew it was a matter of time,” Wainwright said.

And on cue, the Cardinals are in the middle of another September surge.

They held the Brewers scoreless until Gomez’s pinch-hit single in the ninth drove home Scooter Gennett from second. It was Gomez’s first at-bat in a week after being sidelined with a left wrist injury.

BAD GLOVES

The Brewers helped out Wainwright by grounding into three double plays and committing three errors.

“We do this once in a while, and I sure don’t like to see it. They don’t like it. They work hard, they give a good effort and then we play this sloppy,” manager Ron Roenicke said.

BIG BOURJOS

Milwaukee’s first miscue came at the start of St. Louis’ four-run fourth, when Nelson’s pickoff attempt of Jon Jay squirted past Jonathan Lucroy at first. Jay then scored on Matt Adams’ sacrifice fly.

Later, Bourjos’ liner landed in the gap in left-center and bounced to the wall. The speedy outfielder had more than enough time to sail into third after driving home two runs for a 4-0 lead.

“I don’t think we’ve always been clicking on the right cylinders,” Bourjos said. “Everybody’s clicking right now.”

MILESTONE

Cardinals SS Jhonny Peralta got the 1,500th career hit with a fourth-inning single. He added his 20th homer of the year with a two-run shot in the ninth.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Cardinals: LF Matt Holliday got a day off. Holliday has gone hitless in four of his last five games, with the exception being a three-hit outing on Thursday night in Milwaukee.

Brewers: Gomez had been used as a pinch runner and defensive replacement in recent days before his pinch-hitting appearance Sunday. Roenicke said Gomez was due to see the team doctor Sunday to determine if his star outfielder was ready to return to the starting lineup Monday.

UP NEXT

Cardinals: Shelby Miller (8-9) gets the ball for the start of a four-game series Monday against Cincinnati. Matheny said he expected another wave of minor-league reinforcements to join the team then.

Brewers: Yovani Gallardo (8-8) opens a four-game series at home against Miami. He is 5-0 against the Marlins in seven career starts.

___

Follow Genaro Armas at http://twitter.com/GArmasAP

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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