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Encarnacion has 2 HRs, Blue Jays top Indians 4-2

By WTOP Staff

IAN HARRISON
Associated Press

TORONTO (AP) — At the midpoint of May, Edwin Encarnacion is on track for a memorable month.

Encarnacion hit two home runs, Juan Francisco also connected and the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Cleveland Indians 4-2 Thursday night to give manager John Gibbons his 400th career win.

Encarnacion hit a solo homer in the second off Danny Salazar and added a two-run blast in the fifth off C.C. Lee. It was his second multihomer game of the season and the 13th of his career.

“He’s one of the top sluggers in the game,” Gibbons said.

Encarnacion finished 3 for 4, adding a double in the third. His only out was a hard liner straight at third baseman Carlos Santana to open the seventh.

Encarnacion had just two home runs through April 30, but has hit six since. He’s doubled his RBI total with 15 so far in May, and 10 of his 14 hits this month have been for extra bases.

“I feel great at the plate the last couple of weeks,” Encarnacion said. “I’m very happy and very proud because I know when I feel like that I can help my team win a lot of games.”

Two batters after Encarnacion’s homer in the second, Francisco also went deep off Salazar (1-4), who lost for the fourth time in seven starts.

Gibbons wasn’t too moved about his minor milestone.

“In managerial history, I don’t know if that means a lot,” he said of his 400 wins. “It’s a nice round number.”

David Murphy homered for the Indians, whose streak of series victories was snapped at three.

Blue Jays left-hander J.A. Happ allowed one run and six hits in a season-high six innings. Happ (2-1) walked two and struck out four.

“He stepped up,” Gibbons said. “That was big for him, it really was.”

Brett Cecil pitched the seventh, Steve Delabar got two outs in the eighth and Aaron Loup got the third. Casey Janssen finished for his second save in two chances.

One night after setting season-highs with 15 runs and 22 hits, Cleveland struggled to get anything going offensively. Yan Gomes grounded into a double play with men at first and second in the second, and the Indians twice grounded into fielder’s choices with two on in the fourth.

“We just never really could sustain an inning,” manager Terry Francona said. “We’d get a couple guys on here and there and we just couldn’t really get three or four hits in a row.”

Murphy got the Indians on the board with his one-out homer in the fifth. Michael Bourn reached on a two-out single and Nick Swisher walked, but Ryan Raburn grounded out.

Raburn hit a leadoff double in the eighth and Santana walked, but Asdrubal Cabrera line out to right and pinch-hitter Lonnie Chisenhall flied out on a ball that center fielder Anthony Gose tracked down in the gap.

“That was probably our biggest chance,” Francona said.

Gomes chased Delabar with an RBI single before Loup came on and struck out Murphy.

Salazar allowed two runs and five hits in four innings, his second shortest outing of the season. He walked two and struck out three.

“He had to work for everything,” Francona said.

Salazar is 0-6 with a 4.28 ERA in 10 career road starts.

“I just didn’t have a good feeling for the ball today to command my fastball, and my changeup wasn’t there,” Salazar said.

The Blue Jays used a single, a hit batter and a walk to load the bases against Salazar in the fourth, but Melky Cabrera struck out to end the threat.

Jose Bautista singled off Lee to start the fifth and Encarnacion followed with a second-deck blast to left, pausing at home plate to admire his towering drive.

NOTES: Toronto put OF Colby Rasmus (right hamstring) on the 15-day DL. … Gibbons said RH Dustin McGowan is returning to the bullpen. McGowan went 2-2 with a 5.08 ERA in eight starts. Gibbons said Todd Redmond and rookie Marcus Stroman are potential replacements. … The Indians put OF Nyjer Morgan (right knee) on the 15-day DL and recalled 1B Jesus Aguilar from Triple-A Columbus. … Raburn started in place of Michael Brantley, who left Wednesday’s game with a sore back. Brantley is day to day. … Cleveland returns home Friday to begin a three-game series with AL West-leading Oakland. Indians RH Zach McAllister (3-3) faces Athletics RH Sonny Gray (4-1). … The Blue Jays open a three-game series at Texas on Friday, with RH Drew Hutchison (1-3) facing Rangers RH Yu Darvish (3-1).

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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