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Jimenez has strong start for Orioles in loss

By WTOP Staff

HOUSTON (AP) — Ubaldo Jimenez finished May the way he started the month — with a good start.

Baltimore’s offense did not give the right-hander much support.

George Springer hit a tiebreaking two-run homer in the seventh inning, and the Houston Astros extended their winning streak to six with a 3-1 victory over Baltimore.

Jimenez allowed one run and three hits with eight strikeouts in six innings. Jimenez had struggled in his last two outings, allowing 10 runs in nine innings.

“I was able to get a little bit deeper in the game and that’s always good,” Jimenez said. “Hopefully I get deeper than that in my next game. I felt good. I was able to be there for the team.”

Jimenez has pitched better in his six May starts, posting a 3.12 ERA after having a 6.59 ERA in five April starts. Jimenez started May by allowing one run over 19 2-3 innings that covered three starts.

Baltimore manager Buck Showalter said Jimenez deserved a better fate against the Astros.

“We knew coming in here they were playing some of their best baseball of the year and a lot of it revolves around how good their starting pitching has been,” Showalter said. “Runs were going to be at a premium. … With the exception of a couple guys we’re not swinging the bat real well and then we’ll break out and score seven or eight runs.”

Nelson Cruz remained hot, extending his hit streak to 10 games with two hits, including an RBI single in the fourth that tied it at 1. The Orioles losing streak reached three games.

“It’s not always going to click together,” Showalter said of Baltimore’s inconsistency of late. “You’re hoping one part of the game is good enough to offset another and we have for the most part. I have a lot of confidence that our best baseball is ahead of us. Tonight we just didn’t swing the bats well enough.”

Springer’s shot to left off Preston Guilmet (0-1) extended the rookie’s hitting streak to 11 games and was his seventh homer in his last seven games.

Springer’s 10 home runs in May extended his Astros rookie record and tied him for the third most long balls by a rookie in May with Jose Canseco, Wally Joyner and Walt Dropo. Mark McGwire set the rookie record for home runs in May with 15 in 1987.

Brad Peacock allowed a run on six hits with eight strikeouts in six innings. Peacock, who was scratched prior to his scheduled start May 24 at Seattle with forearm soreness, went six innings for the fifth straight start.

Jose Altuve had three hits for Houston.

Josh Fields (1-3) threw two scoreless innings for the win, and Chad Qualls pitched the ninth for his fourth save.

Houston could not take capitalize with runners in scoring position, going 0 for 11 against Jimenez and finishing 1 for 15 with runners in scoring position with the lone hit being Springer’s home run.

“The perfect way is you don’t want to get so many runners on base like I did because anything can happen,” Jimenez said. “A blooper, a base hit and they’re going to score. But it’s part of the game once they get on base to find a way to get them out.”

Jason Castro scored from third on a wild pitch by Jimenez in the second on a close play at the plate to make it 1-0. After a 4 minute, 25 second review, the call was upheld — Castro was safe.

Jimenez, who had loaded the bases with one out on two walks and a single before Castro scored, escaped the inning by inducing groundouts to Robbie Grossman and Jonathan Villar.

NOTES: Baltimore right-hander Tommy Hunter, who has been on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to May 21 with a left groin strain, has been throwing on flat ground for four days and feels good, manager Buck Showalter said. … Orioles catcher Matt Wieters, who has been on the 15-day DL since May 11 with a right elbow strain, is expected to start doing light tossing Friday, Showalter said. … Houston will send lefty Brett Oberholtzer to the mound Friday against Baltimore right-hander Miguel Gonzalez in the annual Major League Baseball Civil Rights Game. There was a roundtable discussion Thursday and there will be a Beacon Awards Luncheon Friday. The Astros will wear the uniform of the Houston Eagles and the Orioles will wear the uniform of the Baltimore Elite Giants of the Negro Leagues for the game.

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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