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Kazmir’s error costly as Blue Jays beat Athletics

By WTOP Staff

IAN HARRISON
Associated Press

TORONTO (AP) — The biggest mistake Scott Kazmir made on the mound Friday night wasn’t a pitch to home plate, but an errant pickoff attempt that sailed into the outfield.

Liam Hendriks won his season debut, Steve Tolleson hit a two-run home run and the Toronto Blue Jays were victorious for the ninth time in 11 games, beating Kazmir and the Oakland Athletics 3-2. The Blue Jays capitalized on Kazmir’s error to score the decisive run in the third. Kevin Pillar hit a leadoff double and went to third when Kazmir wheeled and made a pickoff throw even though shortstop Jed Lowrie wasn’t at the base. Jose Reyes followed with an RBI grounder.

“That turned out to be costly,” Kazmir said. “I should have held on to it. It ended up being the difference-maker in the game.”

Lowrie said he was trying to keep Pillar from extending his lead, but never meant to make Kazmir think he was breaking for the bag.

“He looked back and thought I was going to break and I didn’t have any plans to,” he said.

Kazmir (5-2) allowed three runs and five hits in seven innings. He walked one and struck out two.

Brandon Moss homered for the seventh time in 18 games for the Athletics, who lost their second straight following a five-game winning streak. Oakland’s loss was just its third in the past 14 games overall.

“We did the things that it takes to win a game, it just didn’t happen,” Moss said.

Oakland had at least one runner on in every inning but the second, but went 0 for 3 with men in scoring position.

“We put some good swings on balls and didn’t get the results we were hoping for,” Lowrie said.

Oakland used a single, a hit batter and a walk to load the bases with two outs in the fifth, but Hendriks got Lowrie to fly out to the warning track.

Pinch-hitting for Reddick, Alberto Callaspo cut it to 3-2 with a two-out RBI single in the eighth, but Cecil fanned Norris to keep the Blue Jays ahead.

Promoted from Triple-A to face the Athletics, who came in with the best record in the majors, Hendriks (1-0) allowed one run and three hits in 5 2-3 innings. The right-hander walked three and struck out three.

“He was able to move his fastball around and elevate it,” Lowrie said. “It looked like he kept guys just a little bit off balance.”

Oakland used a single, a hit batter and a walk to load the bases with two outs in the fifth, but Hendriks got Lowrie to fly out to the warning track.

Josh Donaldson walked to open the sixth and Moss followed with a fly ball to the warning track. After Donaldson was erased on a fielder’s choice grounder by Yoenis Cespedes, Loup came on and retired Josh Reddick on a diving stop by first baseman Edwin Encarnacion.

Pinch-hitting for Reddick, Alberto Callaspo cut it to 3-2 with a two-out RBI single in the eighth, but Cecil fanned Norris to keep the Blue Jays ahead.

Toronto evened its home record at 11-11 and beat Oakland for the fourth time in 12 meetings north of the border.

Aaron Loup pitched 1 1-3 innings, Steve Delabar got one out in the eighth and Brett Cecil got the final two, striking out Derek Norris to strand runners at first and second.

Casey Janssen finished for his sixth save in six chances, stranding Coco Crisp at third as Lowrie grounded out.

Tolleson hit Toronto’s ML-leading 68th home run when he connected off Kazmir in the second, his first of the year.

NOTES: Oakland’s ML-best road record dropped to 18-8. … Bench coach Chip Hale managed the Athletics while Bob Melvin attended his daughter’s college graduation in New York City. Melvin will rejoin the team Saturday. … Oakland’s John Jaso was scratched from the starting lineup after complaining of soreness following three games on Tampa Bay’s artificial turf. Jaso is scheduled to catch Saturday. Kyle Blanks replaced Jaso at DH. … Hale said 2B Nick Punto (left calf) is unlikely to play Saturday. … Toronto RH R.A. Dickey (4-4) faces Athletics RH Jesse Chavez (4-1) on Saturday.

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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