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Struggles continue for A’s reliever Jim Johnson

By WTOP Staff

JANIE McCAULEY
AP Baseball Writer

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Jim Johnson is perplexed by his struggles when he believes he is throwing good pitches.

Yes, the 2013 AL saves leader hears the boos in his home ballpark — and there were more during the Oakland Athletics’ 5-4 loss to the Detroit Tigers on Thursday.

“What am I supposed to do?” Johnson said of the crowd treatment. “I don’t know what to tell you. Balls are finding holes. I’m throwing pretty good pitches, I just feel like I’m in a little bit of bad luck. I don’t think it’s as bad as it really seems. I think everybody else thinks that way.”

Two of the American League’s top teams have struggling closers who are accustomed to being among the best in baseball.

Joe Nathan held on through another rocky ninth inning for his 13th save a day after blowing one in a May matchup of division leaders.

“If Joe’s on you’re going to have quick outs. He’s been one of the best closers, he had an unbelievable year last year,” Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said. “If he’s on, he’ll get quick outs. It just wasn’t today.”

Miguel Cabrera hit a go-ahead sacrifice fly in the fifth to back Rick Porcello’s eighth victory.

Porcello (8-2) overcame a career-high six walks, three shy of his season total coming into Thursday’s start. Nathan allowed Josh Donaldson’s leadoff double, an RBI infield single by Yoenis Cespedes and Josh Reddick’s run-scoring double before pinch-hitter Jed Lowrie grounded out to end the game.

It was Nathan’s first outing since he surrendered Donaldson’s game-ending three-run homer in Wednesday’s 3-1 loss for his fourth blown save opportunity.

“You guys can get the guys that did their part. You can write whatever you want,” Nathan said.

Victor Martinez doubled home two runs in the seventh and Cabrera also had an RBI groundout for the Tigers, who head to Seattle for the weekend before returning home.

Nick Punto hit a two-run homer in the fourth for Oakland, which wasted chances all game to lose for only the seventh time in 20 games.

“We had plenty of opportunities,” manager Bob Melvin said. “We had some situational at-bats where we didn’t come through.”

Porcello moved into second place in the AL for wins behind Toronto’s Mark Buehrle.

He did just enough this time, coming off just his second loss of the year Saturday against Texas in which he was tagged for eight runs and 12 hits in 5 1-3 innings.

“It’s no secret I was all over the place,” Porcello said. “I was fortunate to get out of some of the innings.”

Porcello improved to 5-1 on the road. He allowed five hits and two runs with four strikeouts in 5 2-3 innings.

Oakland starter Jesse Chavez (4-3) lost consecutive starts for the first time this season following a two-game winning streak.

His pitch count went up in a hurry. The right-hander walked two of his first three batters but escaped a rough first inning unscathed.

After Ian Kinsler lined out to start the game, Chavez walked the next two and received a mound visit from pitching coach Curt Young after going to 2-0 on cleanup hitter Victor Martinez. Martinez then singled and J.D. Martinez grounded into an inning-ending double play.

The A’s left the bases loaded in the second and sixth innings, and also squandered scoring chances in the first, fifth and seventh. They had the tying run on second and go-ahead run on first to end the game, leaving 14 on base in all.

“That’s the game of baseball, that’s going to happen,” Chavez said. “Unfortunately today we didn’t get that big hit.”

AL Central-leading Detroit, which eliminated the two-time defending AL West champion A’s in a five-game division series each of the past two Octobers, won for just the third time in 11 games following a six-game winning streak.

NOTES: Tigers OF Rajai Davis, formerly with Oakland, was held out of the lineup with lingering soreness in his left shoulder that he hurt while diving for a fly ball during the second inning Wednesday night. … Ausmus decided to give 38-year-old Torii Hunter an unscheduled day off. “We’ve got to give him a day off because he’s an old man,” Ausmus joked. “We need him for the long haul.” … A’s setup man Ryan Cook, on the DL since May 9 with a forearm strain, threw a bullpen session and could begin a rehab assignment within the next week. … Oakland’s Drew Pomeranz (4-2), who pitches the series opener against the Angels on Friday, has won three of his four starts since being moved into the rotation.

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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