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Gibson, Twins lose to Brewers 6-2 in series opener

By WTOP Staff

JIM HOEHN
Associated Press

MILWAUKEE (AP) — A defensive lapse on a leadoff bunt. That’s what aggravated Minnesota manager Ron Gardenhire the most Monday night.

Matt Garza took a shutout into the seventh inning and Mark Reynolds hit a two-run homer, sending the Milwaukee Brewers to a 6-2 victory over Kyle Gibson and the Twins.

The play that really bothered Gardenhire led to Milwaukee’s first two runs. After three perfect innings by Gibson, Jean Segura opened the Brewers fourth by dropping his sixth bunt hit of the season in front of third baseman Trevor Plouffe, who was playing deep.

Segura advanced to second on Ryan Braun’s groundout and scored on Jonathan Lucroy’s single up the middle, with Lucroy going to second on the throw. Carlos Gomez followed with another RBI single back through the box.

“That’s not supposed to happen. We just went over it. You can’t back up there. You can’t lead off an inning and drop the bunt down,” Gardenhire said. “We backed up on him, but we know he bunts. It’s all over and we talked about it. You get two strikes, back up, but until that point you have to stay in there. Trev backed up and he dropped a bunt down. That’s kind of a cardinal sin. You can’t let that guy lead off with a bunt there. That’s the top of their order. He’s got to hit it by you.”

Gibson (4-5) allowed four runs and six hits in six innings. He was more upset about Reynolds’ team-leading 13th homer, an opposite-field shot to right that put the Brewers up 4-0, than the earlier runs.

“I just made the wrong pitch,” said Gibson, who has won just one of his last eight starts after winning his first three. “I had a guy on second with less than two outs and I had gotten Reynolds away his first at-bat. And any good hitter right there is trying to move the runner over to third. And I got beat on not my best pitch. I threw him a four-seamer away and the sinker’s obviously my best pitch. A sinker there, I’d probably feel a whole lot better about it. Should have gone in. He was trying to hit a ball the other way and I gave him the pitch he needed to do it.”

Garza (3-4) scattered six hits over 6 1-3 scoreless innings against the team that brought him to the big leagues in 2006. The right-hander, signed to a $50 million, four-year deal as a free agent in the offseason, struck out eight and walked two for his first win since May 5.

Milwaukee scored an unearned run in the seventh on consecutive two-out errors by Plouffe and added another on Lucroy’s third homer in the eighth.

The Twins got a run in the eighth on an RBI infield single by Josh Willingham and another in the ninth on an RBI infield single by Brian Dozier.

“It took a while and it wasn’t like we killed the ball,” Brewers manager Ron Roenicke said. “Luc rolls the ball up the middle; Gomez with a groundball up the middle for the first two runs. And then a real nice job with Reynolds going the other way for the home run. But he (Gibson) did a nice job. He keeps the ball down really well. It’s got late life on it with sink and he mixes up his off-speed pitches well.”

Minnesota, which stranded nine runners, squandered several scoring chances against Garza.

Joe Mauer doubled with one out in the first, but was stranded at third. Mauer doubled again to open the fourth and did not advance. In the fifth, Gibson singled with two outs for his first major league hit and Dozier followed with a double, but Mauer struck out to end the inning.

“We had chances and just couldn’t come up with the big hit,” Gardenhire said. “We missed a few plays, but more than anything else, you still feel like you’ve got a chance. These guys, you always feel like you have a chance even late in the game, so you’ve got to keep playing like that. We’ll see what happens tomorrow.”

NOTES: Brewers 3B Aramis Ramirez, on the 15-day disabled list with a left hamstring injury, went 2 for 4 as the designated hitter in his second rehab game for Class-A Wisconsin. Ramirez is expected to be activated for Wednesday’s game at Minnesota and could be the DH in the American League ballpark. … It was the first of four consecutive interleague games between the Brewers and Twins, two in Milwaukee followed by two in Minnesota. … Gibson’s soft liner just beyond the reach of 2B Scooter Gennett was his first hit in four major league at-bats. … Mauer’s two doubles gave him 290 for his career, moving him past Justin Morneau for fourth place on the Twins’ all-time list (since 1961).

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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