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Orioles lose 7-5 to Tigers

By WTOP Staff

BALTIMORE (AP) — This time, Baltimore had plenty of success against Justin Verlander.

Unfortunately for the Orioles, the Detroit Tigers got to their starting pitcher, too.

Nelson Cruz hit a three-run homer off Verlander in Baltimore’s five-run fifth inning, but Rajai Davis went deep to lead Detroit to a 7-5 victory on Wednesday and a three-game sweep of the slumping Orioles.

“It’s hard to stay consistent,” Cruz said. “It’s a long season. But like I said, we’re not going to focus on what happened in bad situations. We’re going to focus on whatever we did good on a daily basis and that can get you going through the season.”

Adam Jones went 3 for 5 while extending his hitting streak to nine games, but Baltimore still dropped its fourth consecutive game, matching its longest losing streak of the season.

Kevin Gausman (0-1) lasted just four innings in his first start for the Orioles since June 13, 2013. The top prospect allowed five runs and six hits with two strikeouts, two walks and a wild pitch.

The Tigers have won 12 of 15, including eight straight road games.

Verlander (5-2) allowed a season-high five runs in six innings while improving to 7-0 in eight career starts at Camden Yards. The right-hander gave up six hits, struck out four and walked three.

It was the first time in 15 games a Detroit starter allowed more than three runs.

“Winning as a team is all that matters,” Verlander said. “Obviously, today was a great team effort. Our boys put up a bunch of runs.”

Davis hit his third home run and had two RBIs for the Tigers.

Staked to a 6-0 lead, Verlander was cruising until the fifth. He gave up consecutive RBI singles to Jones and Chris Davis before Cruz hit a drive to left for his 11th homer.

“In the American League, no lead seems to be safe,” Detroit manager Brad Ausmus said. “We’ve had a number of games where we had a six- or seven-run lead and the other team scrapes their way back into the game. It’s never comfortable. They have some very good players over there. To come away with a sweep against a team like the Orioles is a huge bonus.”

Davis gave Detroit some breathing room with his solo shot in the sixth.

Joe Nathan pitched a scoreless ninth for his 10th save. He hasn’t allowed a run in six straight appearances.

Detroit opened a 2-0 lead in the third on Miguel Cabrera’s two-out, two-run single. He is batting .391 with 53 RBIs in 51 career games against Baltimore.

“It’s never fun to get swept,” Orioles catcher Steve Clevenger said. “But it’s going to happen. The sooner we move forward, the better off we are going to be. We got to get better. We got to get better as a ballclub.”

The Tigers extended the lead to 5-0 in the fourth with some aggressive baserunning and timely hitting. After a double steal, Bryan Holiday had an RBI single. Danny Worth followed with a drag bunt up the first-base line for another run. Davis then hit a long sacrifice fly to center.

“Obviously, I wasn’t too thrilled with it,” Gausman said about his outing. “I thought I did some good things early on, keeping down in the count. As the game progressed, my fastball started going up in the zone. Really, the bottom half of the lineup is what kind of really got me today.”

Verlander threw behind Cruz in the fourth, prompting plate umpire John Tumpane to issue a warning to both benches. On Monday, Orioles starter Bud Norris plunked Torii Hunter in the rib cage after allowing a go-ahead, two-run homer to Ian Kinsler in the eighth, which caused both dugouts to empty, though no punches were thrown.

As skilled as pitchers are at this level, balls get away,” Ausmus said. “Just like I am sure the ball got away from Bud Norris.”

NOTES: Baltimore RHP Chris Tillman has been bothered by a sore groin but expects to make his scheduled start Friday after a bullpen session. … Orioles manager Buck Showalter will miss Saturday’s game in Kansas City to attend his daughter’s graduation at SMU. Bench coach John Russell will fill in. … Tigers RHP Luke Putkonen (right elbow inflammation) pitched two innings Tuesday in a rehab assignment at Triple-A Toledo. He allowed four runs and five hits and will likely make one more rehab outing. … Tigers RHP Anibal Sanchez (right middle finger laceration) is scheduled to come off the disabled list and start Sunday night’s game at Boston. … Tigers RHP Rick Porcello was scheduled to pitch a bullpen session Wednesday after experiencing tightness in his side in Monday’s 4-1 win over the Orioles.

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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