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Yankees beat Cardinals 7-4, take series

By WTOP Staff

R.B. FALLSTROM
AP Sports Writer

ST. LOUIS (AP) — It was news to Hiroki Kuroda that it had been 10 months since he last won on the road.

“I wasn’t really thinking about that,” the right-hander said through an interpreter after the New York Yankees gave him a big early lead in a 7-4 victory over the St. Louis Cardinals on Wednesday night. “In fact, I didn’t know until you told me.”

Kuroda snapped an 11-start road winless streak and Jacoby Ellsbury had three hits and three RBIs his first three at-bats against Shelby Miller.

“It was nice playing with a lead,” Ellsbury said of the 7-0 advantage. “I thought Kuroda did a tremendous job and we got some big hits in big situations. We put a lot of good swings on balls.”

John Ryan Murphy added two RBIs for the Yankees, who took two of three without an appearance from Mark Teixeira, nursing a sore wrist, and wrapped up a 5-4 trip. Catcher Brian McCann had an RBI single and made his first career start at first base in the finale.

“I felt pretty good over there,” McCann said. “With each pitch I was glad balls weren’t hit to me, but I’ll get more reps in practice just in case Tex needs a couple days and I can fill in there.”

Miller (6-4) allowed a career-worst seven runs and nine hits in five innings for St. Louis.

“He came out of the gate looking pretty good,” manager Mike Matheny said. “Third inning hit and they were just on everything.

“You didn’t see a lot of bad swings, no matter what we threw up there.”

Kolten Wong had a career-best four hits and an RBI, Matt Carpenter doubled twice with an RBI and Yadier Molina had two hits and two walks, but the Cardinals stranded 13 runners.

Derek Jeter didn’t play in the finale but made a curtain call before the seventh inning after the scoreboard camera focused on him in the dugout and fans responded with another standing ovation.

“The fans were awesome here, all three days,” Jeter said. “I’ve always heard how great of a baseball city this is and I’m glad I had a chance to experience it before my career was over with.”

Kuroda (4-3) allowed three runs in 5 2-3 innings for his first road victory since last July 25 at Texas. He had been 0-7 since then, the longest drought of his career but is 1-1 away from Yankee Stadium this year.

Miller had won five of his previous six starts but has lasted fewer than six innings seven times in his 11 starts. Frequently jumping on the first pitch, the Yankees pelted the 23-year-old right-hander for seven runs and seven hits. He walked two in the third and fourth.

“I gave up some big hits on curveballs, two of them were first-pitch,” Miller said. “I don’t know if I was tipping it or not.

“It seemed that especially in the third it was hit after hit, it kind of got away right there.”

Ellsbury had an RBI single in the third as five straight Yankees reached safely, and added a two-run single in the fourth. Murphy had a two-run single in the fourth.

The Cardinals stranded two in the second and left the bases loaded in the third when Molina popped out to second. Kuroda has allowed just one extra-base hit with the bases loaded in 65 career plate appearances, limiting opponents to 14 hits in 57 at-bats with a double.

St. Louis chipped away with single runs in the fourth, fifth and sixth and Wong’s RBI single off David Robertson in the eighth cut the deficit to three. The first two Cardinals reached in the ninth before Robertson struck out the next three, including pinch-hitter Matt Adams, to earn his 12th save in 13 chances.

“I had to really bear down to get the last three outs,” Robertson said. “It was a good trip for us, a lot of tough wins for us.”

NOTES: All three games were sellouts. Paid attendance of 45,267 in the finale was the Cardinals’ 13th in 24 home dates. … Adams did not start at 1B due to calf tightness and Matheny wasn’t sure whether he’d be able to be back in the lineup Thursday against the Giants. … The Yankees have a day off Thursday before beginning a seven-game homestand against the Twins, Mariners and A’s. Vidal Nuno (1-1, 5.49) starts Friday against Minnesota’s Ricky Nolasco (2-5, 6.12). Jaime Garcia (1-0, 4.26) opposes San Francisco’s Ryan Vogelsong (3-2, 3.20) Thursday. … Matt Holliday singled in the third and has reached base safely in all 24 home games. … The Yankees are 6-3 overall against St. Louis.

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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