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Ramirez, Abreu power White Sox over D-Backs

By WTOP Staff

JOHN JACKSON
Associated Press

CHICAGO (AP) — Some hitters aren’t comfortable swinging at 3-0 pitches. Alexei Ramirez and Jose Abreu aren’t among them.

Ramirez hit a grand slam to fuel Chicago’s seven-run fourth inning and Jose Abreu hit his major league-leading 13th homer and drove in two runs — both homers came on 3-0 pitches — to lead the White Sox to a 9-3 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday night.

Ramirez’s blast was his sixth career grand slam and broke open a 2-2 tie.

“I was looking for a good pitch to connect, something that was over the plate,” he said through a translator. “That’s what I did and I was able to hit it.”

Abreu was the designated hitter because of a nagging left ankle injury. He went 3 for 4 and leads the AL with 37 RBIs. His blast to straight away center was estimated at 442-feet.

“You don’t see balls hit like that very much,” said White Sox bench coach Mark Parent, who filled in for manager Robin Ventura in the postgame news conference although Ventura managed.

“We’ll probably do the same thing tomorrow, DH him and try to get him a couple of days off on the road.”

Tyler Flowers also homered for the White Sox, who pounded out 15 hits.

Andre Rienzo (3-0) allowed three runs on four hits in 5 2-3 innings and the bullpen pitched 3 1-3 scoreless innings.

Brandon McCarthy (1-6) allowed nine hits and seven runs — all in the fourth inning.

“I have no idea what happened; I really don’t know,” McCarthy said. “I don’t know if they changed their approach or just got super aggressive. I was throwing a lot of strikes, they just started jumping on everything.”

Arizona went up 2-0 on Gerardo Parra’s two-run homer in the third inning.

The lead appeared secure because McCarthy was cruising, retiring all nine batters he faced in the first three innings on a total of 33 pitches.

Things quickly turned in the bottom of the fourth.

Alejandro De Aza broke up the no-hitter with a leadoff double and scored on a single by the next batter, Gordon Beckham. Following Conor Gillaspie’s single, Abreu drove in Beckham with a single to tie the score at 2 and make it four straight hits.

Things were just getting started.

Following a strikeout by Adam Dunn for the first out, Dayan Viciedo singled to load the bases and Ramirez broke the game open by sending a drive into the left-field bullpen. The White Sox weren’t done as the next three batters singled. McCarthy, who threw 31 pitches in the fourth inning, was knocked from the game on the last of those hits, a run-scoring single by De Aza, to make it 7-2.

“Even looking back, they’re not terrible pitches, they’re not anything different than what I was doing the first three innings,” McCarthy said. “It’s just I don’t know, I don’t know how you get 9 hits out of 10 hitters, when I felt like I was doing the things I needed to do. I’m baffled at this point.”

The Chicago hitters weren’t baffled by anything in the fourth.

“The first time around, he was able to throw his sinker, he was able to throw his curveball efficiently,” Ramirez said. “The second time, I just kind of lay off of that stuff and that’s how I was able to get a good pitch. I think that’s what everybody else did.”

The Diamondbacks got a run back in the top of the fifth on a run-scoring single by A.J. Pollock.

Abreu then homered in the seventh to make it 8-3. Flowers had a leadoff homer in the eighth to close out the scoring.

NOTES: Chicago RHP Nate Jones, who’s been sidelined all season with a mysterious back injury, had surgery Monday to repair a pinched nerve. “It is a relief,” he said, “because after surgery I’m not feeling any pain in my hip.” Jones isn’t expected to begin baseball-related activity for four weeks, but expects to pitch this season. … Chicago manager Robin Ventura will miss Saturday’s game to attend the graduation of his daughter, Rachel, at Oklahoma State. Bench coach Mark Parent will manage. … LHP Wade Miley (2-3) faces Jose Quintana (1-2) in the second game of the series.

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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