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Miller falters again late, Red Sox lose to Twins

By WTOP Staff

ANDREW KRAMMER
Associated Press

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Andrew Miller will quickly want to forget this trip to Minnesota.

Miller served up his second walk-off hit in three days when Aaron Hicks drove in the winning run in the bottom of the 10th inning to lift the Twins to a 4-3 victory over the Boston Red Sox on Thursday.

“I’ve felt good out there, but I’ve blown two games,” Miller said. “We lost two games in this series and my name is attached to it.”

After scoring 15 runs in the first two games of the series, Boston’s bats cooled at the hands of a familiar foe in Phil Hughes. Hughes, formerly with the New York Yankees, struck out eight in six innings and retired David Ortiz, who hit four home runs in the first two games of the series, in his first three at-bats.

Clay Buchholz gave up three runs on 10 hits and struck out six in six innings for the Red Sox, who did little through the first eight innings. Brian Duensing (1-1) picked up the win.

“I tell you what, for the first six innings, that’s as good a ball as Phil Hughes has thrown against us,” Red Sox manager John Farrell said. “He was very good at the top of the strike zone, evident by the number of balls we hit into the air. He pitches more comfortable here, it seems.”

Hughes had a shot at his fifth-straight victory before closer Glen Perkins blew his second save of the season. Perkins gave up a two-run single by Will Middlebrooks with the bases loaded that tied the game in the ninth inning.

Kurt Suzuki doubled down the left field line and Hicks, who was hitting .161, lined a 3-2 pitch to left field off Miller (1-2) with two outs in the 10th.

Mike Carp had two hits and an RBI for the Red Sox, but Ortiz was a quiet 1 for 4 with a single.

The Red Sox offense was really starting to do well, with Ortiz’s personal home run derby contributing to 28 runs over their previous four games. But Hughes put those hot bats on ice on a day the temperature was 46 degrees at first pitch.

“He only threw a couple curveballs in the 90-plus pitches he threw,” Farrell said. “They threw a lot of strikes, didn’t issue many bases on balls. We didn’t have a whole lot going for us in the first 8.”

Despite lackluster offense, Middlebrooks led the Red Sox rally in the ninth inning that ultimately fell short. At the crack of Hicks’ bat, Miller said he thought he forced the final out that would send the game to an 11th inning.

Miller allowed two hits and one earned run in 1 2-3 innings.

“(Miller) is throwing as well as anybody out of the bullpen in this league right now,” Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. “For him to get two losses here is pretty amazing to tell you the truth.”

After hitting the winning homer in the bottom of the ninth against Miller to beat the Red Sox on Tuesday, Chris Parmelee’s two-run shot in the second inning slammed off the scoreboard hanging from the second deck in the right-center field. Brian Dozier followed with a sacrifice fly later in the inning.

Buchholz and three Red Sox relievers, including Miller, held the Twins scoreless through the final seven innings before Hicks’ walk-off winner.

“We were a swing of the bat away from walking out of here with a series win,” Farrell said.

NOTES: The Twins gave SS Danny Santana the day off to rest some sore legs, Gardenhire said. … The Red Sox head home to open a series against Detroit on Friday. LHP Jon Lester (4-4, 2.75) will start for Boston against Max Scherzer (5-1, 2.04). … The Twins start a series against Seattle on Friday. RHP Kyle Gibson (3-3, 4.74) will pitch against Mariners RHP Chris Young (3-0, 2.63).

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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