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Red Sox nearly no-hit by Darvish in loss at Texas

By WTOP Staff

STEPHEN HAWKINS
AP Sports Writer

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Once he ended Yu Darvish’s no-hit bid with two outs in the ninth inning on a clean single, David Ortiz thought he should have been credited with another hit.

When the Texas Rangers misplayed Ortiz’s high fly in the seventh, a ball that dropped without being touched to give the Red Sox their first baserunner, it was ruled an error. Even the Boston slugger acknowledged the ball should have been caught.

Ortiz, however, wiped out a potential controversy with his grounder to right through an overshifted infield on Darvish’s 126th and final pitch in the Rangers’ 8-0 victory Friday night.

“Guy’s throwing a no-hitter. We all understand that. But when it comes down to the rules in the game, that’s a hit,” Ortiz said. “That’s the rule that we all know, and that’s the rule that the game (has had) for more than 100 years. The ball in the outfield drops in between infield and outfield, nobody touched it. … So I guess it’s going to be two (hits) now.”

Had he not gotten a hit in the ninth, Ortiz said he would have been OK with the error “if the guy’s throwing a no-hitter.”

Darvish fell just one out shy of a no-no for the second time in his career. He was within one out of a perfect game during his first start last season at Houston when Marwin Gonzalez singled through the pitcher’s legs.

“This is the second time I experienced this, but if I keep pitching like this, someday I’ll get it,” the Japanese ace said through his translator. “Someday, I’ll just keep doing what I’m doing and I’ll probably have another record of almost a no-hitter.”

Rookie second baseman Rougned Odor, positioned in shallow right field, made a diving attempt at Ortiz’s hit but the ball was out of his reach. If the Rangers had not shifted their infield toward the right side of the diamond — a standard practice against the pull-happy Ortiz — it probably would have been a routine grounder to second.

After the base hit, Darvish bent his knees and put his glove on his hips. Texas manager Ron Washington then made a slow walk to the mound, with the 45,392 in attendance cheering and chanting “Yuuuuuu!”

Darvish (3-1) struck out 12 and walked two.

“He was on his game early,” Red Sox manager John Farrell said. ” That combination of being powerful and the secondary pitches and the assortment of them ends up being a night like tonight.”

Clay Buchholz (2-3) allowed six runs and 10 hits over 4 1-3 innings. He struck out three and walked two while throwing 96 pitches.

The 20-year-old Odor, playing his second major league game and the youngest player to appear in the big leagues this season, was also involved in the play that ended Darvish’s try for a perfect game.

Darvish struck out eight of the first 11 batters he faced and retired 20 in a row until Ortiz hit a high popup to right field with two outs in the seventh.

Odor was also shifted into shallow right then and drifted back for the ball while right fielder Alex Rios came in before suddenly stopping. Odor lunged with his glove extended above his head, but the ball dropped between them.

“As soon as he hit it, I thought it was going to be a hit,” Darvish said.

An error was charged to Rios after official scorer Steve Weller looked at replays and conferred with several others because of the significance of the play.

“I should have taken control of that ball,” Rios said. “We were camped under the ball, so it can be called an error.”

Weller, in his 20th season as a scorer, told a pool reporter after the game that it was a judgment call and “I felt like the second baseman or right fielder under normal effort could’ve clearly caught the ball.”

Darvish walked another batter in the eighth but went into the ninth looking for the first no-hitter in the majors this season. Dustin Pedroia grounded out and Shane Victorino struck out before Ortiz stepped to the plate.

“He had great stuff. He was locating everything,” Pedroia said. “When a guy like that with that kind of stuff is on his game, it makes it a tough night.”

Darvish also lost a no-hit bid with one out in the eighth against the Astros last August.

Elvis Andrus had four hits and scored three times for the Rangers. He singled and scored on Adrian Beltre’s double in the first to put Texas ahead.

NOTES: Darvish was winless in his previous nine home starts despite a 2.83 ERA. He had not won at home since last Aug. 1 against Arizona. … The last no-hitter for the Rangers was Kenny Rogers’ perfect game against the California Angels on July 28, 1994. … Boston last went without a hit on April 22, 1993, against Seattle’s Chris Bosio.

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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