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Twins fall 5-4 to Rangers to lose series

By WTOP Staff

DAVE CAMPBELL
AP Sports Writer

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — While the Minnesota Twins had plenty of runners on base again, most of them didn’t make it home.

It is the latest reason why they are losing, following a successful stretch earlier this month.

Leonys Martin doubled twice and scored three times, including the go-ahead run in the eighth inning, and the Texas Rangers beat Twins 5-4 on Thursday to win their second straight four-game series on the road.

Shin-Soo Choo hit a three-run double in the second for the Rangers, but the Twins took a 4-3 lead in the fifth inning on Josh Willingham’s first home run of the season, a no-doubt drive to the second deck above left-center field.

Trevor Plouffe and Willingham hit RBI singles in the third, but the Twins have only 14 runs in their last seven games, going 6 for 52 with runners in scoring position.

“Pitching is doing well. They’re keeping us in ball games. It’s just all about hitting with runners in scoring position,” said Brian Dozier, who struck out in the eighth inning with nobody on base but still slammed his bat down in disgust.

Alexi Ogando (2-2) got four outs for the victory, and Joakim Soria retired the last two batters for his 10th save after Neal Cotts started the ninth by getting Joe Mauer to ground out. Soria saved the last two games of the series after he had his first blown chance of the season in Tuesday’s 4-3 loss.

“The game runs in cycles, and you’ll go through your good spells and bad and you hope you can get away from these streaks,” Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. “But you have to swing. We left a lot of people on base in this last series.”

Martin hit a leadoff double in the eighth against Casey Fien (3-2), moved up on a sacrifice bunt and sprinted home on a sacrifice fly by Rougned Odor, beating a sweep tag by catcher Josmil Pinto. The throw by center fielder Danny Santana, a rookie shortstop playing out of position, was off the plate and up the line.

The Rangers tied it at 4 when Martin doubled and scored on Robinson Chirinos’ single in the sixth. Samuel Deduno gave up nine hits while striking out two and was removed with one out in that inning.

Bases-loaded, nobody-out situations for both teams in the second inning went opposite ways.

Deduno moved within one strike of escaping without any damage after an infield popup and a strikeout. But Choo drove a 2-2 curveball down the left-field line. Martin scored easily from first base to put the Rangers ahead 3-0.

Nick Martinez dodged trouble in the bottom of the frame when Pinto sent a soft roller back to the mound. After a short throw home for a forceout, Martinez got Eduardo Escobar to line into a double play.

No team in baseball this season has been hit harder by injuries than the Rangers, whose rotation has been depleted by long-term disabled-list visits for Matt Harrison, Derek Holland and Martin Perez, but they have begun to find their stride with eight wins in their last 11 games. They took three of four at Detroit last week.

Martinez’s emergence has been helpful. The rookie was charged with more than three earned runs for the first time in five starts. He allowed nine hits and walked two in 5 2-3 innings.

Mauer was booed Wednesday when he struck out with a runner on third to end the seventh inning. Though he singled and scored in the third Thursday, the $23 million man ended the sixth with a groundout to second with two runners on. Mauer has only 15 RBIs, a season pace for just 47.

Willingham’s homer, though, was a sign of promise. Both he and Oswaldo Arcia made solid contact all series after returning from wrist injuries.

“We’ve got to get a few other guys going,” Gardenhire said.

But even Willingham hasn’t been immune to the runners-in-scoring-position struggles.

“Obviously, the idea is to get them in,” he said, “so yeah, it’s been a little frustrating.”

NOTES: Deduno walked Martin, ending a streak by Twins pitchers of 131 straight batters without an unintentional walk. … The day after he was scratched from the lineup because of back spasms, Twins CF Aaron Hicks was available to play, though held out again as a precaution. … The Twins will be in New York for three games this weekend, with RHP Ricky Nolasco (2-5, 6.12 ERA) taking the mound Friday against Yankees LHP Vidal Nuno (1-1, 5.49 ERA).

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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