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Royals outlast Cardinals 8-7

By WTOP Staff

R.B. FALLSTROM
AP Sports Writer

ST. LOUIS (AP) — The St. Louis Cardinals ended their offensive slump, but the Kansas City Royals found a way to keep the National League champs down.

Eric Hosmer hit a tiebreaking single off closer Trevor Rosenthal in the ninth inning and the Royals won 8-7 Tuesday night for their second straight road victory in the four-game, two-city series.

“It was a great game back and forth, a lot of clutch hits by both teams,” said Alex Gordon, who homered in both games. “It was good to see and hopefully we can build on this.”

Rookie Kolten Wong’s first career home run was a grand slam in the second that ended the Cardinals’ 20-inning scoreless drought and gave them an early four-run cushion. Wong said it was the first grand slam he’s hit at any level.

“It’s awesome,” Wong said. “It was good to get us up early, try and give us a chance.”

The Cardinals finished a dismal 2-7 home stand when their pitchers faltered and fell to 30-29 overall. Before the game, manager Mike Matheny fielded an endless series of questions about the lack of hitting.

Gordon’s three-run homer capped a six-run fifth for the Royals against Jaime Garcia that put them up by two.

“We can’t complain about what the offense did,” Matheny said. “It just wasn’t enough.”

Kansas City starter James Shields also scuffled, surrendering five earned runs in 5 1-3 innings, and has given up seven homers his last three starts. Shields helped himself with two hits, including an RBI double.

“I was just kind of all over the place, really wasn’t commanding my slider at all,” Shields said. “I made three crucial bad pitches and that’s what caused six runs.”

Peter Bourjos’ 422-foot homer put the Cardinals ahead 7-6 in the sixth. Alcides Escobar’s bloop RBI single off Pat Neshek tied it in the eighth, a rally fueled by pinch hitter Billy Butler’s infield hit.

Omar Infante doubled off Rosenthal (0-3) with one out in the ninth ahead of Hosmer’s hit.

Wade Davis (5-1) allowed a hit in the eighth and Greg Holland worked the ninth for his 16th save in 17 chances for the Royals, the home team for the last two games of intrastate interleague series that resumes Wednesday.

“That was one of those grinder games, where you’re grinding right from the get-go — everybody,” Royals manager Ned Yost said. “It was a great game.”

Jhonny Peralta added two doubles and an RBI for St. Louis, outscored 14-0 the previous two games by the Royals and Giants.

Wong was chosen as the NL rookie of the month earlier Tuesday and his slam in the second was the Cardinals’ fifth hit in 10 at-bats against Shields.

St. Louis loaded the bases in the first, too, but Yadier Molina grounded into an inning-ending double play on good glovework by Escobar at shortstop and capped by Infante’s barehanded grab on the move at second and relay.

The Royals had one runner in scoring position the first four innings, then batted around and hit for the cycle in the sixth to take the lead. Gordon homered for the second straight day, Escobar had an RBI triple and Shields had an RBI double with his second straight hit.

No St. Louis relievers warmed up during the rally and Matheny said after the game a couple of pitchers had been unavailable.

“I’m on the mound, I’m trying to execute pitches until the manager takes the ball out of my hand,” Garcia said. “I’m not looking anywhere else.”

NOTES: Cardinals RHP Adam Wainwright (8-3, 2.32) opposes Jason Vargas (5-2, 3.39) on Wednesday night. Wainwright is 4-1 against the Royals and 9-5 overall in interleague play. Vargas has at least six strikeouts his last five starts, the longest such stretch of his career. … Shields is the first Royals pitcher to get an RBI since Luis Mendoza May 29, 2013, at St. Louis. … The Royals’ six-run inning tied their season best and tied the best against the Cardinals. … Matt Holliday walked twice and has reached safely the first 30 home games. … The Royals have played six games with new batting coach Dale Sveum, and have scored six or more runs in four of them. … Escobar’s hit ended Neshek’s career-best streak of 20 2-3 scoreless innings. … Wong, the Cardinals 2B, said he jammed his shoulder a bit diving for Butler’s infield hit in the eighth and might miss a 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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