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Rays lose 4th straight, 6-3 to Indians

By WTOP Staff

DICK SCANLON
Associated Press

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — For the fourth straight game, the Tampa Bay Rays had runners on base in the ninth inning with a chance to win. And for the fourth straight game, they failed to get any of the runners across the plate.

Mike Aviles hit a three-run homer during a five-run seventh inning, Corey Kluber went 6 2-3 effective innings, and the Cleveland Indians stopped a seven-game road losing streak by beating the Rays 6-3 on Friday night.

Jake Odorizzi struck out a career-high 11 in five shutout innings for the Rays, who have lost six straight at home.

“Primarily, we have not hit,” manager Joe Maddon said. “I mean, you look at the bullpen and we had one bad inning tonight, but we’ve scored 10 runs in the last four games. … You can slice this so many different ways, but some nights you’ve got to win 7-6 or 6-5, and we haven’t been able to do that.”

Odorizzi threw a career-high 101 pitches while becoming the first Ray to go five innings or less in six straight starts. According to the Rays, he became the first AL pitcher with 11 strikeouts in five innings or less since the Rays’ Alex Cobb did it against San Diego on May 10, 2013.

“Odorizzi was really kind of carving us up,” Indians manager Terry Francona said.

“That was the best I’ve mixed all year, and that was our game plan going into it,” said Odorizzi, who used his curveball more than in his preceding five starts. “We tried to get them uncomfortable and we did that. It’s good to get back on the right track. It’s just bittersweet that we couldn’t pull it out today.”

Cleveland got solo homers from Asdrubal Cabrera and Michael Brantley. Kluber (3-3) allowed two runs, nine hits and had nine strikeouts.

Brantley homered off Joel Peralta (1-3) before Yan Gomes hit an RBI single and Aviles had his three-run shot against Brandon Gomes as the Indians went ahead 6-2 in the seventh.

The Rays put together a serious ninth-inning threat once again. David DeJesus had an RBI double off John Axford with two outs that made it 6-3. Ben Zobrist then walked to load the bases, ending Axford’s night.

Cody Allen entered and got a fly ball from James Loney on a 3-2 pitch for his first save.

Rays shortstop Yunel Escobar left after the second inning with a bruised right thumb and is day to day. X rays were negative.

Maddon’s challenge of a double play in the first resulted in the call being overturned when a video review determined that Zobrist beat the relay throw at first.

NOTES: The game took 4 hours, 10 minutes. … Indians 2B Jason Kipnis (strained right oblique) has been cleared to swing a bat this weekend. … Tampa Bay CF Desmond Jennings, who went 1 for 15 in his previous three games, was rested. … The Indians gave no indication of appealing to MLB a scoring call that gave Cabrera a double in the eighth inning Thursday. If he would have been credited with a triple in his final at-bat, it would have given Cabrera the cycle. “I’m not too sure that it isn’t a triple, but I’m not positive it is either,” Francona said. … Indians RHP Zach McAllister (3-2) and Rays LHP Erik Bedard (1-1) are Saturday night’s scheduled starters.

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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