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Cruz hits 2 more HRs, but O’s fall to Brewers 8-3

By WTOP Staff

GENARO C. ARMAS
AP Sports Writer

MILWAUKEE (AP) — Nelson Cruz’s two latest home runs weren’t enough to keep the Baltimore Orioles from leaving town with a second straight loss.

Once again, they got beat by Milwaukee Brewers starter Yovani Gallardo.

A day after getting a win with his bat, Gallardo earned a victory with his arm and overcame the two solo shots by Cruz in an 8-3 win over the Orioles on Wednesday night.

Ryan Braun hit an early two-run double and Khris Davis added a three-run homer in the eighth, his third shot in three games.

Cruz leads the majors with 19 home runs. He has three homers in two days, and 12 in May.

He’s never had such a prolific month in the majors.

“Maybe in the minors, but not in the big leagues,” Cruz said. “I think the approach I’ve been taking the last few weeks has been pretty good.”

The Brewers’ batters were better on Wednesday. They took early advantage of Bud Norris (3-5), who allowed four runs, five hits and three walks in six innings.

Braun hit a hard chopper down the first-base line for his two-out double with runners on second and third. Milwaukee scored four times in the eighth off relievers Brad Brach and Brian Matusz after Baltimore had drawn within 4-3.

That inning was capped by Davis’ high fly that sailed past the left-field pole for his ninth homer of the season.

“We let that eighth inning get away from us. I liked our chances there if we could have held it to one run,” Baltimore manager Buck Showalter said.

The NL Central-leading Brewers took two of three in the first interleague series between the teams since 2008.

On Tuesday night, Gallardo delivered a game-winning RBI double as a pinch-hitter in the 10th inning. He went 1 for 2 on Wednesday, though the rest of the lineup took care of the offense.

“To add on late like that — huge,” manager Ron Roenicke said. “We keep waiting for one of those and we got it.”

On the mound, Gallardo (3-3) gave up three runs on four hits and five walks in 6 2-3 innings. He also went 1 for 2 at the plate.

Gallardo walked the bases loaded in the fourth with two outs, escaping by getting Jonathan Schoop to ground out.

Showalter lamented about the missed opportunity.

“That won’t happen much with (Gallardo) and we need to do a better job of taking advantage of it,” he said.

Gallardo left after Nick Markakis doubled with two outs in the seventh. Brandon Kintzler relieved and gave up singles to Manny Machado and Adam Jones.

Lefty reliever Will Smith made a wild pickoff throw, then struck out Chris Davis swinging with runners on second and third to end the inning.

Smith, the setup man with a potent slider, struck out four in 1 1-3 scoreless innings.

At least Cruz’s nice series gave the Orioles a bright spot. He leads the AL with 48 RBIs and extended his hitting streak to nine games.

“Nellie, he’s a perennial hitter. We’ve seen him for years in other leagues and everything else, but to have him over here in Baltimore has been outstanding,” Norris said. “We just don’t want him to cool off at all. We want to keep him going.”

NOTES: Orioles LHP Johan Santana, signed as a minor league free agent during the offseason after missing all of the 2013 season following shoulder surgery, is likely to make one more outing in extended spring training, Showalter said. The Orioles would then like the former Cy Young Award winner to make at least two minor league starts. … Baltimore sends Ubaldo Jimenez (2-6) to the mound Thursday in the opener of a four-game series in Houston. Milwaukee is off Thursday before returning Friday with Marco Estrada (4-2) against the Chicago Cubs.

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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