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Hamels lift Phillies to 5-2 win over Padres

By WTOP Staff

JAY PARIS
Associated Press

SAN DIEGO (AP) — The Padres’ Eric Stults joined the Phillies’ A.J. Burnett with a distinction that neither of them want: leading the majors in losses.

One night after Burnett notched his 17th loss, Stults followed suit on Wednesday.

Stults (7-17) was rocked for four runs and six hits in 4 1-3 innings as the Padres fell to the Phillies, 5-2.

“Wins and losses are tough,” Stults said. “It’s tough to judge your season on wins and losses.”

Cole Hamels (9-7) dominated San Diego again. He struck out nine in seven innings and allowed a run as he scattered seven hits and a walk. It marked Hamel’s 21st straight start in which he was charged with three runs or less.

Over that span he is 8-4 with a 1.86 ERA. Only the Dodgers’ Clayton Kershaw (1.26) has a better ERA.

“You look at Cole Hamels and he has a 2.47 (ERA) and he only has nine wins on the year,” Stults said. “It’s obviously not fun to look at your win-loss record and see those 17 losses. But I feel like I’m not going to dictate the season on those losses.”

Hamels, who attended nearby Rancho Bernardo High and grew up a Padres fan, is 9-2 against San Diego.

Ben Revere had two RBIs and two hits to pace the Phillies.

Yangervis Solarte, Tommy Medica and Cameron Maybin each had two hits for the Padres.

Stults retired 12 straight before the Phillies opened the fifth with four consecutive singles. The fourth one, by Freddy Galvis, drove in Darin Ruf and

Domonic Brown for a 2-1 lead. After Hamels’ sacrifice bunt, Revere’s two-run double chased Stults and pushed the Phillies ahead 4-1.

“You look at the line and it’s going to say four runs in 4 1-3 innings,” Padres manager Bud Black said. “But I thought he threw the ball well.”

Phillies manager Ryne Sandberg agreed.

“We were able to put some hits together in the big inning against a guy that was a little bit crafty during the early part of the game,” he said.

Stults, who has taken the loss in four of his last five outings, said his game unraveled quickly.

“The balls hit in the ground just found some holes,” Stults said. “The first few innings, the balls were hit at us. It was just one of those innings where I probably didn’t execute the pitches quite as well.”

In the fifth, Carlos Ruiz’s sacrifice fly scored Ruf for a 5-1 cushion, after Ruf doubled and advanced to third.

The Padres struck first in the fourth when Maybin’s second hit drove in Medica. After leading off the inning with his second single, Medica stole second base and scored easily on Maybin’s single.

In the previous inning the Padres loaded the based when Hamels walked Stults, which followed Medica and Maybin hits. But Solarte flied out to right to end the threat.

Despite the loss the Padres are 23-9 in their last 32 games at Petco Park, dating to June 29.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Padres: RHP Joaquin Benoit threw another bullpen session on Wednesday and manager Bud Black said Benoit could be available to pitch on Friday, when the Padres open a three-game series against the visiting Giants. Benoit hasn’t worked since Aug. 26 because of a sore right shoulder. . Black said there was no update on RHP Tyson Ross and when he might pitch again. Ross is skipping his Thursday start because of soreness in his right arm.

Phillies: SS Jimmy Rollins, out of the lineup since Sept. 8 with a strained left hamstring, is increasing his baseball activities. Rollins took ground balls during batting practice.

UP NEXT

Phillies RHP Kyle Kendrick (9-12, 4.72 ERA), who pitched six strong innings to beat San Diego on June 12, will face Padres LHP Robbie Erlin (3-4, 4.89). Erlin is making his first start since May 17 at Colorado after battling left elbow soreness.

MW NAMES TROPHY FOR GWYNN

Padres icon Tony Gwynn, who died in June, will be honored by the Mountain West Conference next season. Its player of the year baseball award will be named for Gwynn, who was a two-time All-America at San Diego State and also served as its baseball coach. All MW baseball teams will wear a “TG” logo on their uniforms next season.

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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