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Carter 2 HRs, Springer HR, Astros win 5th in row

By WTOP Staff

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Houston Astros got a good glimpse of what could happen if Chris Carter and George Springer are hitting well at the same time.

Carter connected for two home runs, Springer set a rookie club record for homers in a month and the Astros beat the Kansas City Royals 9-3 Wednesday for their fifth straight win.

The Astros have been waiting for Carter to take off after he hit 29 home runs last year.

“This guy led our offense in home runs and RBIs last year. He had been hot and cold, but we all know when he’s hot, he can carry a ballclub because we’ve seen him do it,” Astros manager Bo Porter said.

“We definitely would love to get him going. That would be an added boost to our team,” he said.

Carter, who had been benched the previous three games with a .192 batting average, homered to lead off the fifth. He hit a three-run homer in sixth off reliever Louis Coleman for his fourth career multihomer game and his first this season.

“He sat for three days, worked extremely hard in the cage and watched a lot of video,” Porter said. “He came in today with a good game plan and understanding the things in which he’s worked on the last few days.”

“I always say this: It’s good from a coaching standpoint you put in effort with a guy and the next time he gets in the lineup you see it pay off. That’s good for the player to see the immediate results of the work which he’s putting in” he said.

Springer homered off Danny Duffy (2-5) in the first for his ninth home run in May. Glenn Davis held the Astros’ rookie record with eight home runs in September 1985. Springer also walked twice and was hit by a pitch.

“Our offense is better,” Carter said. “It’s been coming around really good. George has six home runs in six games. I’m happy for him. I think we have something going here.”

The Astros, with the worst record in the AL, won three times in Kansas City for their first sweep of the season. Houston’s winning streak is its longest since a six-game string that ended last June 3.

The Royals have lost four in a row.

“It’s just a bad series, unfortunately, it happened at home,” Royals designated hitter Billy Butler said. “It’s a tough go right now.”

Carlos Corporan had three hits with a walk. He drove in a run as the Astros outscored the Royals 21-5 in the series.

Jarred Cosart (4-4) gave up one earned run and four hits in five innings, but was pulled when his pitch count reached 95.

“I chose a good day to go five and the offense scored nine runs,” Cosart said. “I didn’t have my best stuff. The offense came out scoring early. I felt pretty good out there. I had a couple of innings with high pitch counts. We have a five-game winning streak going. We’ve got momentum. We’re going back home to our own ballpark.”

Duffy allowed six runs on seven hits and five walks in four-plus innings. The first four Royals pitchers combined to walk 10, which was a season high.

“He just didn’t have anything going for him today,” Royals manager Ned Yost said. “His fastball was down to 88-92 (mph) and we kept checking and asking if he was OK. He was fine, but he was going through a little dead arm. He was throwing hard, but it just wasn’t coming out. We had to kind of ride it. We didn’t have any bullpen help.”

Brett Hayes singled in the Kansas City fifth to snap an 0-for-27 skid to begin the season. He homered in the seventh, the Royals’ first home run in nine games.

NOTES: Houston 2B Jose Altuve dropped Eric Hosmer’s popup to shallow right in the sixth inning for his first error of the season. That ended an Astros’ record of 88 errorless games by a second baseman. Altuve also had a single and tops the majors with 73 hits. … Butler grounded out four times and is in a 2-for-22 funk, tumbling his average to .235 with one home run. … Royals LF Alex Gordon batted third for the first time this season and extended his hitting streak to six games with a first-inning single.

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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