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Archer solid for in Rays’ 3-2 loss to Blue Jays

By WTOP Staff

IAN HARRISON
Associated Press

TORONTO (AP) — Chris Archer gave Tampa Bay a solid start, and in the end the Rays were beaten by a bad throw.

Pinch-runner Kevin Pillar scored the decisive run on a throwing error by pitcher Juan Carlos Oviedo in the ninth inning and the Blue Jays completed a three-game sweep of Tampa Bay, beating the Rays 3-2 Wednesday night.

“It’s been pretty much how the season has gone to this point, but we’re going to change it,” Rays manager Joe Maddon said. “All these weird, awkward breaks, we’re just not catching them.”

Archer allowed two runs and six hits in six innings, walked two and struck out seven.

“I haven’t felt that good in a long time with my fastball,” he said.

The Rays fell to 16-3 in games in which Archer works at least six innings, dating to the start of last season.

“I want to go deeper and walk away with a team win, obviously,” Archer said, “but on a personal level I think I did pretty well.”

Dioner Navarro singled to begin the ninth and was replaced by Pillar. Oviedo fielded Anthony Gose’s bunt along the first base line and threw wildly to first, with the ball rolling into foul territory down the right field line. Pillar was waved home by third base coach Luis Rivera and slid home safely under the tag of catcher Ali Solis.

Aaron Loup (2-1) worked one inning for the win as Toronto won for the 14th time in 16 games.

“It’s a pretty exciting win all around for the team,” Gose said.

Oviedo (1-1) faced just two batters.

The Rays lost their third straight game following a season-best four-game winning streak. Tampa Bay hit four balls to the warning track but all of them ended up as outs, two of them on sensational catches by Gose and Melky Cabrera.

“We were smashing balls and they were playing outstanding defense,” Archer said.

The Blue Jays jumped on Archer with two runs in the first, loading the bases with two singles and a walk before Edwin Encarnacion singled to right. Archer escaped further damage by striking out Juan Francisco and Brett Lawrie.

The Rays answered in the second when Matt Joyce doubled and Wil Myers followed with a line drive home run into the bullpen in left field.

Gose made a leaping catch at the wall in center field to take extra bases away from James Loney in the third, ending the inning and stranding Evan Longoria at first.

Left fielder Cabrera had a defensive gem of his own in the sixth, jumping into the wall to retire Longoria for the first out of the inning.

Blue Jays right-hander Liam Hendriks was replaced by left-hander Rob Rasmussen to begin the seventh, which began with Joyce hitting a ground-rule double to left. Dustin McGowan came on and got two outs, then walked Rays catcher Jose Molina, but got out of the jam when Sean Rodriguez flied out.

Hendriks allowed two runs and three hits in six innings, walked none and struck out five.

Reyes hit a one-out single off Joel Peralta in the seventh and, after Cabrera flied out, Jose Bautista walked. Jake McGee came on and struck out Adam Lind looking for the third out.

Molina was hit on the mask by a foul tip in the eighth. Home plate umpire Brian O’Nora asked Maddon and the Rays trainer to check on Molina, who insisted he was fine, but Maddon replaced the veteran catcher with Solis in the ninth. Maddon said Molina was “getting a little nauseous.”

“That was a pretty severe blow,” Maddon said. “When he came into the dugout I said ‘That’s it, I don’t want it to go any further than that.'”

Molina claimed to be feeling fine, and said he would be ready to play Friday night at Boston. The Rays are off Thursday.

The Rays were already thin behind the plate after placing Ryan Hanigan (right hamstring) on the 15-day disabled list before the game.

NOTES: To replace Hanigan, the Rays recalled OF Kevin Kiermaier from Triple-A Durham. … Rays LHP David Price (4-4) starts for the Rays Friday at Boston, while the Red Sox have yet to name a starter. … Tampa Bay’s Ben Zobrist (left thumb) played second base in a rehab game at Class-A Charlotte on Wednesday and is scheduled to be activated Friday.

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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