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Duffy, Royals keep Cardinals down 6-0

By WTOP Staff

R.B. FALLSTROM
AP Sports Writer

ST. LOUIS (AP) — Danny Duffy became the latest pitcher to shut down the St. Louis Cardinals.

Duffy worked six innings of one-hit ball coming off a pair of poor outings and Alex Gordon homered to start a breakout three-run seventh for the Kansas City Royals in a 6-0 victory over the suddenly punchless defending NL champs on Monday night.

“I told him, ‘You didn’t throw a great game, you pitched a great game,'” manager Ned Yost said. “He was just right on top of his game.”

The Royals had just two singles off Shelby Miller (6-5) in a game that had been scoreless before they opened the seventh with four straight hits. Gordon’s fifth homer ended a 15-inning scoreless drought and Mike Moustakas capped the rally with a two-run double.

“I felt good early on,” Miller said. “I felt like I just kind of gave the game away in the seventh. It’s just frustrating.”

Matt Holliday had two singles and a walk for the Cardinals, who have been shut out in consecutive games at home and have single-digit hit totals the last four games. They’re just 2-6 with one game to go on a nine-game home stand.

“It’s a long season. You’re going to have those times,” said Yadier Molina, who is 2 for 21 during the home stand. “We know we’re good hitters.”

Between Holliday’s single with two outs in the first and his single leading off the seventh, the Cardinals were 0 for 17 with a walk — also by Holliday in the fourth.

Coming off an 8-0 loss to San Francisco on Sunday, the Cardinals were shut out two straight times at home for the first time since 1992 against Pittsburgh, and by six or more runs at home in two straight games since dropping a doubleheader to the Reds in 1937.

“We’ve had lots of meetings, we’ve had the conversations we needed to have,” manager Mike Matheny said. “What we’re doing right now isn’t going to work and they know that. We all do.”

Duffy (3-5) struck out five and walked one, rebounding from consecutive losses in which he surrendered 10 earned runs in 10 innings. He has a one-hit start over six or more innings each of the last three seasons.

“Physically, I felt really good,” Duffy said. “I still didn’t have as much behind the ball as I normally do, but I felt fine just like last time.”

Rare backing from the offense made everything feel a lot better. The Royals totaled three runs while Duffy was in the game his first five starts over 27 innings.

“Sometimes it’s just the luck of the draw,” Duffy said. “The guys swing the sticks really well.”

Three relievers completed a three-hitter.

The Royals advanced one runner to second base before Gordon led off the seventh with his fifth homer, a drive over the Cardinals’ bullpen in right field.

“It was awesome,” Moustakas said. “It got a good pitch to hit and he crushed it and it kind of loosened us up in the dugout.”

Lorenzo Cain beat out an infield hit unsuccessfully challenged by the Cardinals and Miller threw his second wild pitch of the inning after a visit from pitching coach Derek Lilliquist, setting up Moustakas’ double.

Kansas City added three in the eighth. Cardinals rookie center fielder Randal Grichuk struck out three times and whiffed fielding the ball on the RBI single by Salvador Perez, allowing a second run to score.

NOTES: Holliday has reached safely in all 29 home games. .. The Cardinals anticipate pitcher Lance Lynn, who underwent medical tests after tweaking his right knee Sunday, will make his next start. … Cardinals pitching prospect Marco Gonzales, a first-round pick last year, and teammates from Double-A Springfield attended the game on a day off. … The Royals claimed RHP Blake Wood on waivers from Cleveland and assigned him to Triple-A Omaha, making room on the 40-man roster by transferring RHP Luke Hochevar (elbow surgery) from the 15-day DL to the 60-day DL. Kansas City also purchased the contract of RHP Wilking Rodriguez, optioned RHP Louis Coleman to Omaha and designed LHP Justin Marks for assignment. … The Royals are 5-1 in interleague play.

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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