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Davis’ 4 RBIs carry Orioles past Indians 8-4

By WTOP Staff

DAVID GINSBURG
AP Sports Writer

BALTIMORE (AP) — Nelson Cruz might not have to carry the Baltimore Orioles’ offense anymore, now that Chris Davis and Adam Jones are starting to find their groove.

Davis homered and had four RBIs, Jones had three hits and scored three runs and the Orioles beat Cleveland 8-4 Friday night to snap the Indians’ four-game winning streak.

Cruz hit his 15th homer, collected his team-high 43rd RBI and upped his batting average to .286.

“I think this is really the first time we’ve all been swinging the bat well collectively,” Davis said of himself, Cruz and Jones. “Nelson’s been hot all year. Jonesy is really starting to come on and obviously me coming off the (oblique) injury, I’ve started to swing the bat. It’s big for us, especially in the middle of the lineup.”

Davis hit a two-run double in the third inning and put Baltimore up 5-4 in the fifth with his seventh home run, the fourth in four games. He led the majors with 53 homers last year, and while he’s not on that kind of pace, Davis appears to be heating up.

“I think I’m just putting together better at-bats,” he said.

Nick Markakis had four hits for the Orioles, who have 38 runs and 62 hits in their last five games.

Bud Norris (3-4) gave up four runs, six hits and three walks in six innings to earn his first win in four starts since May 1. It wasn’t his finest effort, but the run support certainly helped.

“These guys can swing,” Norris said. “They’re professional hitters. They’ve been doing it for a long time.”

Making his second major league appearance, Cleveland’s T.J. House (0-1) allowed five runs and 11 hits in six innings. He was first left-hander to make his initial big league start with the Indians since David Huff on May 17, 2009.

House had the misfortune of going against a Baltimore team that now has scored at least six runs in five straight games, one short of the club record.

“It was fun,” House said. “Obviously the results didn’t end the way I wanted them to, but I had a good time out there and next time I get the chance to do it I hope to be able to perform a little better.”

Jason Giambi hit a three-run homer for Cleveland, the 439th of his career, breaking a tie with Andre Dawson for 41st place on the all-time HR list. Prior to connecting, the 43-year-old Giambi was 1 for 15 with no homers and no RBIs this year.

The drive gave Cleveland a 4-3 lead.

“I’ve been taking some good at-bats,” Giambi said. “I just wanted to try to put a ball in play there to get us a run. We had a runner on third, less than two outs, and just kind of keep the train moving. I just kind of got it up in the air a little bit and it went out of the ballpark.”

Cruz put Baltimore up 1-0 with a shot to right-center in the second inning, and Davis doubled to right to make it 3-0 in the third.

Cleveland responded with a four-run fourth. After Lonnie Chisenhall doubled in a run, Carlos Santana walked and Giambi followed with an opposite-field drive into the left-field seats.

“At the time it was huge,” Indians manager Terry Francona said. “It got us right back in the ballgame, put us ahead. That’s when you’re starting to feel like OK, here we go, we’ll find a way to win this one, too.”

But Davis followed an infield hit by Jones with a shot to right field in the fifth to put Baltimore ahead to stay.

The Orioles added three unearned runs in the seventh off Mark Lowe, whose throwing error on a potential double-play ball allowed a run to score and preceded an RBI groundout by J.J. Hardy and a run-scoring double by Delmon Young.

NOTES: Orioles 3B Manny Machado was given the day off after leaving in the 12th inning Thursday night with a sore right groin. Manager Buck Showalter termed the injury “the proverbial day-to-day” and said he expected Machado to avoid the 15-day disabled list. … The Orioles recalled LHP T.J. McFarland from Triple-A Norfolk before Friday’s game and optioned RHP Preston Guilmet to Norfolk. … Cleveland SS Asdrubal Cabrera and 1B Nick Swisher did not start Friday because of knee soreness, but both are expected to avoid the DL, Francona said. Cabrera’s MRI Friday morning came back negative, Francona said. … RHP Ubaldo Jimenez will start for the Orioles on Saturday against his former team. Jimenez played with the Indians before signing with Baltimore as a free agent during the offseason.

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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