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Ortiz homers and doubles, Red Sox beat Rangers 8-3

By WTOP Staff

STEPHEN HAWKINS
AP Sports Writer

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — There are no scoring debates when Red Sox slugger David Ortiz hits towering home runs and scorching liners into the right-field corner.

A night after Boston managed only one hit off Texas ace Yu Darvish, though Ortiz believes it should be two, the Red Sox were hitting from the start Saturday in an 8-3 win over the Rangers.

“The attitude in the clubhouse early before the game was nothing about last night,” manager John Farrell said. “It was more about how we were going to attack (Martin) Perez, and we did a very good job.”

Ortiz broke up Darvish’s no-hit bid Friday night with a clean single with two outs in the ninth inning.

There was also his towering flyball in the seventh that dropped untouched but was ruled an error after Darvish had retired the first 20 Boston hitters — a scoring decision Ortiz indicated Saturday that he will appeal, though he felt the Red Sox as a group put their struggles behind them.

“Oh, you have to. It’s not like there’s any other choice,” Ortiz said. “You got to come back and play the game.”

Shane Victorino had three singles and drove in four runs.

Ortiz pulled the first pitch of the third off Perez (4-3) into the right-field seats for his seventh homer. His double came an inning later, when he scored as a part of a four-run outburst for a 6-0 Red Sox lead.

Asked about the unquestionable hits he had this time, Ortiz laughed, licked his thumb and made a motion with it to match what he said, “Turn the page.”

Jon Lester (4-4) limited Texas to three runs and four hits over seven innings. The lefty, coming off a career-high 15 strikeouts in a week earlier against Oakland, struck out eight more to match Detroit’s Max Scherzer at 66 for the American League lead.

“I got away with a lot of pitches, we were able to keep them off balance just enough to get some foul balls and some bad contact,” Lester said. “Definitely a grind tonight.”

The Rangers didn’t have a base runner against Lester until Shin-Soo Choo led off the fourth with a double to deep center beyond the reach of center fielder Jackie Bradley Jr. He came home on a sacrifice fly by Prince Fielder before Alex Rios added an RBI triple.

Boston went ahead to stay in the second after loading the bases with two outs. Victorino singled to center to drive in a run, but Bradley was thrown out at the plate trying to score a second run.

The homer by Ortiz was his 380th with the Red Sox, breaking a tie with Dwight Evans for fourth on the career list. Jim Rice is third on the list at 382. It was his 19th homer at Texas, one short of Jason Giambi for the most by an opponent there.

Victorino and Jonny Gomes each had two-run singles in the fourth.

Perez lost his third consecutive start since the end of his 26-inning scoreless streak. The left-hander allowed six runs and 14 base runners (nine hits, four walks and a hit batter) in only 3 2-3 innings.

“I don’t know if something’s out of whack, but it didn’t seem like he could get in a rhythm,” manager Ron Washington said.

Perez has given up 19 runs over 13 1-3 innings the past three games, and his ERA has more than tripled in that span — from 1.42 to 4.38.

“Too many balls, man. Trying to overthrow,” Perez said. “I think I get mad and when I get mad I lose my mind. … And I think that happened with me tonight.”

Notes: Texas shortstop Elvis Andrus, who significantly trimmed his beard reminiscent of Abraham Lincoln’s, stretched his hitting streak to seven games with an RBI double in the fifth. … Rangers pitching coach Mike Maddux was ejected in the eighth inning by first-base umpire Vic Carapazza. Washington said it was for arguing balls and strikes. …. Boston RH John Lackey, a Texas native, is scheduled in Sunday’s season series finale to make his 20th career road start against the Rangers. That will break his tie with Seattle’s Felix Hernandez for the most by a Texas opponent. … Texas lefty Robbie Ross (1-3), who starts Sunday, has lost three straight starts and each of his past two games have ended as 12-1 Rangers losses.

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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