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Angels beat Mariners 5-0, win AL West title

By WTOP Staff

GREG BEACHAM
AP Sports Writer

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — The Los Angeles Angels spent an hour after their shutout victory over Seattle waiting in the clubhouse, their eyes glued to televisions while the Oakland Athletics blew a ninth-inning lead.

When the A’s were finally finished, the Angels roared up the tunnel and onto their home field, goggles in place and champagne bottles in hand.

After a five-year wait and a few more minutes on ice, the Angels are AL West champions again.

Los Angeles clinched the division title Wednesday night, getting seven dominant innings of one-hit ball from C.J. Wilson in a 5-0 victory over the Mariners.

“It’s a great feeling,” said Albert Pujols, headed to his first AL postseason in his third year with the Angels. “But at the end of the day, it’s a better feeling when you get to hold that trophy. And that’s what we’re waiting for.”

C.J. Cron hit a three-run homer for the major league-leading Angels (95-57), who wrapped up their first division crown since 2009 when Oakland lost to Texas. The Angels charged the field afterward, celebrating with several thousand fans who stuck around chanting “Let’s go Rangers!” and “M-V-P!” for a grinning Mike Trout.

“Everybody just wanted it to happen tonight, so we’re lucky to get to celebrate with our fans,” said Wilson, who struck out seven. “I feel like we’ve been special for three years. We just haven’t put it all together until now.”

The Angels had already secured a playoff spot Monday, capping a dominant run through the summer and into September. They have won 12 of 14, and lead Baltimore (92-60) by three games for home-field advantage throughout the postseason.

“They’ve won so many games in such a short amount of time, and it’s really a credit to every guy,” said Angels manager Mike Scioscia, who won his sixth AL West title in 11 seasons. “We’re going to enjoy the champagne and then go try to win tomorrow.”

The Angels weren’t assured of the clinching win until their five-run seventh inning broke up a pitchers’ duel between Wilson and Seattle rookie James Paxton. Howie Kendrick sparked the rally by scoring from first base when Chris Denorfia misplayed David Freese’s single to right for an error.

Wilson (13-9) earned his third straight victory in intimidating fashion, allowing only three walks and Justin Smoak’s single in a major improvement from recent starts. He escaped his only jam in the seventh, stranding two runners.

Paxton (6-3) yielded four hits and had eight strikeouts for the Mariners, who have lost six of eight. Seattle managed just one hit and is two games behind Kansas City and Oakland for the second AL wild card.

“It’s tough, but games like this happen,” Paxton said. “That’s just the way baseball works. Sometimes the other teams get the breaks. We just put this game behind us. There’s time left here for us to gain some ground on those guys. It’s not over ’til it’s over.”

Paxton was even more dominant than Wilson, retiring 17 of the Angels’ first 18 hitters. Paxton allowed only two bouncing singles in the first six innings while striking out Trout three times.

Paxton kept the Mariners in contention until his teammates made two errors and reliever Danny Farquhar flopped in the seventh inning. Farquhar relieved Paxton with two outs and two runners on, but Cron mashed his 11th homer into the fake rock pile behind center field. Kole Calhoun followed with an RBI double as the Angels batted around.

GOLDEN SOMBRERO

Trout appears to be the likely AL MVP, but he struck out four times, including his fourth K to end the seventh, tying Baltimore’s Chris Davis for the AL lead with 173 strikeouts.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Mariners: LHP Roenis Elias headed back to Seattle for an MRI after feeling stiffness in his elbow. Manager Lloyd McClendon said Elias is probably done for the season.

Angels: Josh Hamilton was out of the starting lineup after feeling a bit sore following his return from a shoulder injury Tuesday. The cleanup hitter likely wouldn’t have started anyway against a tough left-hander.

UP NEXT

Two aces meet in the series finale when Seattle RHP Felix Hernandez (14-5, 2.14 ERA) takes on Jered Weaver (17-8, 3.50).

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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