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By The Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — Daniel Murphy drove in four runs and the New York Mets matched a franchise record with their 11th straight victory Thursday, walking their way to a 6-3 win over the Atlanta Braves behind Bartolo Colon.

With the top record in the majors despite injuries to several critical players, the Mets finished their first homestand 10-0 after sweeping a trio of NL East rivals. This is the fifth time the Mets have won 11 games in a row, and the first since 1990.

Colon (4-0) allowed three runs over six innings to win his first four starts for the first time in his big league career.

Julio Teheran (2-1) walked three of his first four batters, and Murphy hit a bases-clearing double to right field.

ROYALS 3, WHITE SOX 2, 13 innings

CHICAGO (AP) — A benches-clearing fight led to five ejections several innings before Eric Hosmer hit the go-ahead double in the 13th to lead the Royals to a win over the White Sox.

With two outs, Hosmer’s hit off Chicago’s Jake Petricka (0-1) brought in Jarrod Dyson. Wade Davis then pitched a scoreless 13th for his fourth save, giving Franklin Morales (2-0) the victory.

Kansas City won for the fourth time in five games in a game in which tempers flared.

Yordano Ventura snagged a grounder from Chicago outfielder Adam Eaton and they appeared to exchange words before Ventura threw to first to end the seventh inning. Eaton was restrained from Ventura.

Players from both dugouts and bullpens ran onto the field and punches were thrown during a fight that lasted a couple of minutes.

BREWERS 4, REDS 2

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Kyle Lohse (1-3) allowed two runs and three hits in seven innings, lowering his ERA from 10.34 to 7.94, and Milwaukee (3-13) stopped an eight-game losing streak. Closer Francisco Rodriguez pumped his right arm and yelled after recording the final out for his sixth save.

Jean Segura drove in the go-ahead run with a two-out single in the seventh off Kevin Gregg (0-2), and center fielder Billy Hamilton’s throw home was up the third-base line, allowing Logan Schafer to score.

YANKEES 2, TIGERS 1

DETROIT (AP) — Jacoby Ellsbury hit a leadoff double in the eighth off Tom Gorzelanny (0-1), took third on Brett Gardner’s sacrifice bunt and scored the tiebreaking run on Brian McCann’s groundout.

On an afternoon with a gametime temperature of 33 degrees, Dellin Betances (3-0) pitched 1 2-3 scoreless innings and Andrew Miller had a perfect ninth for his sixth save.

Victor Martinez hit a sacrifice fly in the first but Anibal Sanchez balked in the sixth when Ellsbury was at third and bluffed toward home.

MARLINS 9, PHILLIES 1

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — David Phelps (1-0) tossed three-hit ball over seven scoreless innings for his first win since joining Miami after three seasons with the Yankees.

Martin Prado drove in four runs, Adeiny Hechavarria had four hits and three RBIs and Giancarlo Stanton hit a two-run homer. Miami has won two straight games after losing five in a row.

Dustin McGowan (0-1), making his first start for Philadelphia, allowed four runs, three hits and four walks in 3 1-3 innings. The announced crowd of 17,097 was the smallest in the 11-year history of Citizens Bank Park.

PIRATES 5, CUBS 4

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Gregory Polanco got three hits, including a go-ahead single in the seventh off Phil Coke.

Josh Harrison hit his second double of the game, a drive off Brian Schlitter (0-2), when rookie Kris Bryant took a roundabout path on a flyball. Normally a third baseman, Bryant was making his first start in center field.

Radhames Liz (1-1) picked up his first major league win since 2008 with two innings of shutout relief, and Mark Melancon worked a perfect ninth for his third save. Sean Rodriguez hit his first home run this season as Pittsburgh rallied from a 4-1 deficit.

CARDINALS 4, NATIONALS 1

WASHINGTON (AP) — Michael Wacha (3-0) allowed one run and five hits in seven innings to lower his ERA to 1.33 and outduel

Max Scherzer (1-2), who gave up two runs and six hits in seven innings.

Matt Adams hit a tiebreaking single in the sixth for St. Louis, which won its fourth straight series. Trevor Rosenthal pitched a perfect ninth for his sixth save.

ROCKIES 2, PADRES 1

DENVER (AP) — Corey Dickerson hit a go-ahead homer against Tyson Ross (1-1) leading off the fifth inning, his third solo shot in two days despite playing with pain in his left heel caused by plantar fasciitis.

Jordan Lyles (2-1) allowed one run and six hits in 6 2-3 innings, and John Axford struck out Alexi Amarista to end the game for his second save. The Rockies said it was just the 25th game with a 2-1 score at Coors Field, which opened in 1995.

GIANTS 3, DODGERS 2

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Justin Maxwell, robbed of a big hit in his previous at-bat, singled home the winning run with one out in the 10th inning off Juan Nicasio (0-1) as the World Series champions completed a three-game sweep.

San Francisco tied the score in the ninth when Casey McGehee led off with a single, and Brandon Crawford tripled against Joel Peralta.

Santiago Casilla (2-0) pitched the 10th. The Dodgers arrived in San Francisco with a seven-game winning streak.

RAYS 2, RED SOX 1

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Rene Rivera had a run-scoring single in the bottom of the ninth inning and the Rays beat the Red Sox.

Allan Dykstra opened the ninth with a single off Anthony Varvaro (0-1). Pinch-runner Tim Beckham went to second on Kevin Kiermaier’s one-out single and scored the winning run on Rivera’s hit down the third-base line.

Brad Boxberger (2-1) struck out one during a perfect ninth for the win.

BLUE JAYS 7, ORIOLES 6

TORONTO (AP) — Josh Donaldson hit a two-run homer, Drew Hutchison pitched eight strong innings and the Blue Jays completed a three-game sweep of Baltimore, beating the Orioles.

Toronto won for the fourth time in five games and finished its season opening homestand at 5-5. The Orioles have lost four straight.

Hutchison (2-0) was perfect through five innings before Manny Machado drilled a first-pitch homer in the sixth.

Machado added a three-run drive off Miguel Castro in the ninth. It was the third multihomer game of his career.

Hutchison allowed two runs and four hits, walked none and struck out a season-high seven in the longest outing by a Blue Jays starter this season.

Castro got the final two outs for his fourth save.

ANGELS 2, ATHLETICS 0

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Nick Tropeano pitched five-hit ball into the seventh inning in his Angels debut, and Kole Calhoun’s two-run homer was the Angels’ only hit in a victory over the Athletics.

Calhoun homered in the third and four pitchers combined on an eight-hit shutout, allowing the Angels to salvage a split a four-game series with their upstate AL West rivals.

Tropeano (1-0) was impressive in a spot start for the Angels, yielding one walk and striking out five.

He was nearly matched by Jesse Chavez (0-1), who gave up one hit and three walks in six innings during his first start of the season.

But that hit was costly: Calhoun drove a one-out pitch to right after Drew Butera reached on a throwing error.

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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