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Angels clinch playoff spot, beat Mariners 8-1

By WTOP Staff

GREG BEACHAM
AP Sports Writer

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — The Los Angeles Angels refused to indulge in champagne, cigars or self-congratulation after securing their first playoff spot in a half-decade.

Their goals extend far beyond the mere formality they reached with yet another dominant victory over a division rival.

The Angels became the first team in the majors to clinch a postseason berth on Monday night, with Matt Shoemaker pitching five-hit ball into the eighth inning of an 8-1 victory over the Seattle Mariners.

Manager Mike Scioscia made his priorities clear when he arrived at his postgame news conference table and unceremoniously swept aside three Angels caps with postseason logos attached to their sides.

“Guys are aware that this is one little milestone that we need, and I think they’re proud of that,” Scioscia said. “But we have a long way to go. I think these guys know the bigger prize that we need to keep our eyes on.”

They also need to watch their health. Albert Pujols left the game in the third inning with a left hamstring cramp after hitting a three-run double, while Shoemaker felt discomfort in his left side after his final pitch.

Pujols wrote off the cramp to dehydration on another hot day in Orange County, and he expects to play Tuesday. Shoemaker will have an MRI on Tuesday, but the pain had already disappeared after the game.

David Freese and Brennan Boesch homered for the big league-leading Angels (94-56), who reduced their magic number to three in the AL West race with their 11th victory in 12 games. Los Angeles is assured of at least a wild- card berth, but is four games ahead of Baltimore in the quest for home-field advantage throughout the playoffs.

“When the time comes, I’m pretty sure everybody is going to celebrate,” said Pujols, who got a clutch two-out hit off Hisashi Iwakuma (14-8) for Los Angeles’ first runs. “Just because you earn a spot, that doesn’t mean you’ve done your job.”

Shoemaker (16-4), who turns 28 next weekend, improved his own franchise record for rookie victories with his ninth win in 11 appearances since July 26. He pitched seven shutout innings and didn’t allow a runner to reach third base before Logan Morrison doubled and scored on two groundouts in the eighth.

“Standing here right now, it feels fine,” Shoemaker said.

Tony Campana had a two-run single and Howie Kendrick had an RBI double in the Angels’ 17th win in 20 games.

The Mariners (80-69) dropped two games behind Kansas City for the second AL wild card spot with their fifth loss in six games.

Iwakuma couldn’t get out of the fourth inning of his first career loss to the Angels, yielding six hits and a career-worst seven runs. Humberto Quintero drove in Seattle’s only run.

“We’ve played them extremely well, and truthfully, up until the time we took Kuma out of the game, they didn’t really hit the ball that good,” Seattle manager Lloyd McClendon said. “But they’re the best team in baseball, so I don’t take anything away from them.”

Iwakuma’s career-long dominance of the Angels (5-0, 1.64 ERA) abruptly ended after he retired Los Angeles’ first eight batters. The Japanese right-hander, who walked just 16 batters in his first 176 innings this season, walked Efren Navarro and Mike Trout with two outs in the third before Pujols cleared the bases with a shot down the left-field line.

“I thought Kuma was dominating … (and) he made it look pretty easy,” McClendon said. “But a two-out walk on four pitches (to Navarro), and then the wheels just came off and he couldn’t get it back together.”

GAME OF FIRSTS

The Angels have the majors’ highest-scoring offense largely because they get help from everybody with a bat. They loaded the bases in the fourth for Campana, who delivered his first RBIs for his new team. Boesch then hit his first homer for the Angels in the fifth, putting them up 8-0.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Mariners: Dustin Ackley returned to left field after missing six of the last seven games with a left ankle injury. He left in the sixth inning.

Angels: Josh Hamilton’s injured right shoulder felt strong after three rounds of batting practice. The cleanup hitter might return as soon as Wednesday.

UP NEXT

After three consecutive wins with their bullpen filling injured Garrett Richards’ rotation spot, the Angels will try it again, starting with reliever Cory Rasmus (3-1, 2.80). Roenis Elias (10-12, 3.81) pitches for Seattle.

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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