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Ortiz goes deep twice _ again _ Red Sox beat Twins

By WTOP Staff

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — David Ortiz insists he doesn’t want to participate in the Home Run Derby when the All-Star game comes to Target Field this summer, saying it’d be too much for his 38-year-old body to handle.

Instead, he’s holding his only personal home run derby here in May.

Ortiz homered twice for the second consecutive night to lead the Boston Red Sox past the Minnesota Twins 9-4 on Wednesday. Big Papi went 3 for 5 with two RBIs, one night after a four-hit performance against his former team.

Both of his home runs — off Kevin Correia (1-5) in the third and Caleb Theilbar in the fifth — traveled more than 400 feet into the right-field upper deck at Target Field, where he’s batting .528 (28 of 53) in 13 career games.

After the game, though, Ortiz wouldn’t bite when asked whether it means anything to hit like this against the team that let him go 12 years ago.

“You’ve got to play the same way against everybody,” he said. “You guys watch me every day. I come to the field with the same attitude every day. You’re not going to hit like that every day, it’s not going to happen.”

Don’t tell that to the Twins. In 56 games against Minnesota, Ortiz has a career average of .351 (75-for-214) with 19 homers and 49 RBIs.

“When you leave your original organization, that’s not a memory that doesn’t necessarily go away, no matter how that end came about, whether a roster decision or trade,” Red Sox manager John Farrell said. “Thankfully for the Red Sox he’s come this way.”

After his second 400-foot home run of the night landed in the upper deck, even the Minnesota crowd couldn’t help but show its appreciation for Ortiz’s latest display of power. With the game practically already out of reach, the Twins fans could only politely stand and clap as the Red Sox slugger rounded the bases for the fourth time in two nights and put Boston up 6-1 in the fifth.

The Twins finally retired him in the sixth when Anthony Swarzak got Ortiz swinging on a full count.

“It looks like he’s got the ball on a tee,” Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. “You can’t misfire like that. That’s what we’re doing, misfiring. We said we were going to pitch him tough, we haven’t pitched him tough.”

It was more than enough for Felix Doubront (2-3), who allowed a run on seven hits in 6 1-3 innings and retired nine straight at one point. Doubront hadn’t won since April 3 at Baltimore, his first start of the season.

“It feels good having him driving those runs for me,” Doubront said. “All of them, those runs . help me a lot. I was trying to go up there and get quick outs and finish quick.”

Ortiz, who also doubled in the first inning, moved into sole possession of third place on Boston’s all-time homers list (384) and recorded his 43rd career multi-homer game, 41 of which have come with the Red Sox.

“He’s hitting third for a reason,” Mike Napoli said. “He’s one of our best hitters. We depend on him and he’s locked in right now and it’s a good feeling when he’s up to bat.”

Trevor Plouffe hit his second homer of the year for Minnesota, a two-run shot in the ninth.

Joe Mauer’s sacrifice fly in the third scored Eduardo Escobar. Minnesota added an unearned run in the eighth after a throwing error by Burke Badenhop from the mound allowed Chris Parmelee to reach third, He eventually scored on Eduardo Nunez’s RBI single.

Grady Sizemore had two hits and a pair of RBIs; Dustin Pedroia, Will Middlebrooks and Napoli each drove in a run for Boston. A.J. Pierzynski added a two-run double in the ninth.

Notes: Ortiz’s 442 homers moved him into a tie with Dave Kingman for 39th place on baseball’s all-time home run list. . The Twins reinstated OF Oswaldo Arcia from the 15-day DL and optioned him to Triple-A Rochester. Arcia missed 33 games with a right wrist strain before playing a 12-game rehab assignment in Rochester. … Friday will be a big day for injured Twins players in Rochester. Gardenhire said OF Josh Willingham (broken wrist) will start a rehab assignment, and RHP Mike Pelfrey (groin) will start on Friday for the Red Wings. . The teams will play the rubber third game of their series Thursday when Clay Buchholz (2-3) — who is 3-1 in seven career starts against Minnesota — takes the mound for Boston. The Twins’ Phil Hughes (4-1) will try for his fifth straight win.

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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