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Punchless Twins blanked by Rangers 1-0

By WTOP Staff

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The tying run was 90 feet away with two outs in the seventh inning, and Joe Mauer swung and missed for strike three to complete his hitless night at the plate.

The Minnesota fans couldn’t hold back the boos, not even for their homegrown star hitter.

“I’m probably a lot more frustrated than those people that were booing,” Mauer said Wednesday night after going 0 for 4 in Minnesota’s 1-0 loss to the Texas Rangers.

Twins starter Kyle Gibson gave up six hits and struck out four in six scoreless innings, but Minnesota’s lineup left nine runners on base and went 0 for 8 with runners in scoring position.

In Gibson’s past two starts, the Twins are 0 for 16 with men in scoring position.

Not that the Rangers were that much more impressive on offense, but Luis Sardinas’ RBI off Jared Burton (1-2) in the seventh to score Leonys Martin was enough.

Joe Saunders, who hadn’t pitched in the majors in nearly two months, went five scoreless innings for the Rangers after being activated from the disabled list earlier in the day.

Shawn Tolleson (1-1) pitched 1 2-3 scoreless innings of relief for the win and Joakim Soria picked up his ninth save in 10 tries.

“You get a guy out there, you need a big hit, they got one, they flip one out in the outfield and there you have it,” Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said.

“We hit some balls pretty hard on the nose at people, and that’s the way one of those games goes.”

The Twins scored 43 runs during an 8-3 stretch earlier this month, but have managed only 10 in their past six.

They had their chances on Wednesday night, but stranded seven baserunners against Saunders, three on a bases-loaded fly out by Brian Dozier in the second.

“It was a battle for the first time coming back in almost two months,” Saunders said. “It was a struggle, but I made some good pitches, got some clutch strikeouts against some pretty good hitters and kept the team right where it needed to be.”

Mauer had his chance against reliever Neal Cotts in the seventh, but he chased a breaking ball for strike three. He’s hitting .277 with 15 RBIs and six doubles on the season.

“I feel pretty good actually, which is even more frustrating,” Mauer said. “I’m hitting a lot of balls hard and just not having much to show for it. So hopefully that turns here soon.”

Elvis Andrus was ejected in the sixth inning after he muttered something to home plate umpire Pat Hoberg regarding a low strike called earlier in his at-bat.

It was the second ejection of the season for Andrus and Rangers manager Ron Washington moved Sardinas from second base to shortstop and put Rougned Odor at second base to fill the hole.

NOTES: Twins CF Aaron Hicks was a late scratch with a back issue, forcing manager Ron Gardenhire to start SS Danny Santana in CF. “I went out there trying to take some early BP, felt good. Then as soon as I start going out there for regular BP, it kind of stiffened up and started to get kind of painful,” Hicks said, adding he would see how he felt in the morning. … While on a rehab assignment for a groin injury, Twins RHP Mike Pelfrey felt soreness in his shoulder and was brought to Minnesota for examination. Another stint on the disabled list is likely after the Twins diagnose the injury. … Alex Rios extended his hitting streak to 11 games with a single in the fourth. … Gardenhire challenged a play in the seventh inning when Leonys Martin was ruled safe on a steal. Gardenhire claimed Dozier applied the tag, but the play was upheld after a 51-second review.

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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