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Gardenhire, Twins slip in front of Leyland, Tigers

By WTOP Staff

DETROIT (AP) — Ron Gardenhire has never made any secret of his respect for Jim Leyland.

The Minnesota manager just wishes his team hadn’t been quite so friendly to their former rival Saturday.

On the day the Tigers honored their former manager in a pregame ceremony, the Twins made a crucial error that turned a two-run inning into a six-run meltdown as Detroit picked up an easy 9-3 victory.

“It was great to see Jim and see the Tigers honor him — he’s a good friend and a great manager,” Gardenhire said. “It has been good to know him and to learn from him.”

Unfortunately for Gardenhire, the Tigers players learned even more. Miguel Cabrera and Victor Martinez hit three-run homers, which was more than enough for the defending Cy Young winner, Max Scherzer.

“We had a lot of great memories with Jim, so we wanted to give him one more,” Cabrera said. “We wanted that for him, because of everything he did for us.”

Cabrera connected for his fifth homer, tagging Kyle Gibson (3-3), while Martinez hit his eighth of the season and fourth in the last six games.

Scherzer (5-1) wasn’t sharp yet still won, giving up three runs on five hits and four walks in six innings. He struck out six — his team-record streak of fanning at least seven in seven starts to begin a season ended.

“I couldn’t find my release point today, but I was able to get through it,” he said. “I gave up one big shot, but the rest of the time, I was able to make enough pitches to get the outs I needed and get out of any jams.”

After Leyland threw out the first pitch, another of his favorite players made an immediate impact.

Don Kelly, a utilityman who owes his major league career to Leyland’s patience and trust, reached over the left-field fence in the first inning to steal a homer from Kurt Suzuki.

Kelly then scored the game’s first run as the Tigers took a 2-0 lead in the second on RBI singles by Alex Avila and Andrew Romine. Detroit added another run when second baseman Brian Dozier dropped shortstop Danny Santana’s flip, then threw wildly to the plate as Avila scored.

“Danny should have just thrown to first there, but he got himself into trouble by trying to get the out at second,” Gardenhire said. “You can’t make those kind of mistakes against that team.”

The error had major consequences, as Cabrera followed with his homer for a 6-0 lead.

“That was a huge mistake by the Twins, and we all knew it as soon as we saw the error,” Scherzer said. “If you let us extend an inning and get Miggy to the plate, he’s going to make you pay for it. That’s exactly what he did.”

The Twins closed the deficit on Dozier’s long, three-run shot in the third, but weren’t able to do anything else against Scherzer.

Anthony Swarzak relieved Gibson and pitched four shutout innings, but the damage had already been done.

“I just got behind too many guys, and then you have to come in over the plate,” Gibson said. “You can’t do that against a team like Detroit. They are a pretty good team when you have to throw the ball down the middle.”

Martinez broke open the game with a three-run homer off Michael Tonkin in the seventh. Martinez, who is hitting .328 at the age of 35, is on pace to easily surpass his career high of 25.

NOTES: A fan behind the Twins dugout got an ovation after catching a foul ball with his left hand while cradling his daughter in his right arm. … Scherzer’s eight games with at least six strikeouts is the second-longest streak to start a season in franchise history, trailing his own 19-game run last year.

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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