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Masterson’s 4 walks start Indians to 10-3 loss

By WTOP Staff

HOWARD ULMAN
AP Sports Writer

BOSTON (AP) — Justin Masterson understood when Cleveland manager Terry Francona lifted him with no outs in the third.

He had just walked the first two batters for the second straight inning.

“I walked two guys on like eight pitches,” Masterson said after his shortest outing of the year. “It’s 3-3 at the time and it’s still a ball game. He doesn’t see any positive adjustment coming out of me. Why wouldn’t he take me out?”

Xander Bogaerts and Dustin Pedroia scored after walking in the third, giving the Boston Red Sox a 5-3 lead on their way to a 10-3 win over the Indians on Friday night.

Masterson “didn’t look real crisp and he wasn’t commanding and they had the middle of the order coming up,” Francona said. “I wanted to try and stop it right there and give us a chance to win.”

Instead, reliever Kyle Crockett allowed a go-ahead two-run double to Mike Napoli and the Red Sox led the rest of the way.

“I put the bullpen in a bad spot,” Masterson (4-5) said. “They had to come in way too early than they are supposed to come in.”

The Red Sox scored a season-high in runs one day after beating the Indians 5-2. Those wins followed a three-game trip to Baltimore in which they totaled just one run.

“The thing that stands out is we answered every time they scored,” Boston manager John Farrell said. “That’s two nights in a row now and that’s very encouraging.”

Napoli, Pedroia and A.J. Pierzynski hit two-run doubles, Bogaerts hit a solo homer and John Lackey (8-4) allowed three runs or less for the ninth time in his last 10 starts.

“Tonight was more about the offense more than anything,” said Lackey, who allowed three runs and seven hits in 6 2-3 innings. “The guys really swung the bats great, made a couple of great defensive plays for me.”

The Red Sox (31-36) entered the game with the fourth-lowest batting average in the AL and have been on a roller coaster ride, losing 10 straight, winning seven in a row and then losing five consecutive games before winning four of their last six.

“We’ve been able to ride some of the peaks and valleys here,” Farrell said, “but there’s a number of guys that are relaxed in the (batter’s) box right now.”

Cleveland is on its own streak, losing four in a row.

The Indians took a 2-0 lead in the second on Carlos Santana’s eighth homer after a single by David Murphy.

“He’s starting to take some more aggressive swings and stay in the middle of the field,” Francona said of Santana, who began the night hitting .175. “If he gets hot, that will be great for us.”

The Red Sox went ahead with three runs in the bottom of the inning. Masterson walked David Ortiz and Napoli. Daniel Nava singled, but Ortiz was thrown out trying to score by center fielder Michael Bourn. Pierzynski then doubled in two runs and Jackie Bradley Jr. singled in another.

Cleveland tied it in the top of the third on consecutive doubles by Asdrubal Cabrera and Michael Brantley.

But Masterson again walked the first two batters in the third and Boston took a 5-3 lead.

After Brantley’s RBI double, Lackey retired 14 of the next 16 batters, allowing runners only on a walk and an error. Cabrera doubled with two outs in the seventh, ending Lackey’s night. Miller ended the threat by retiring Brantley on a groundout.

Boston tagged three relievers for four runs in the seventh. Bradley led off with a single, Brock Holt singled and both scored on Pedroia’s double. Ortiz was walked intentionally and Pedroia scored when Napoli singled to right and Murphy let the ball get away from him for an error. Nava then doubled in Ortiz, making it 9-3.

Bogaerts hit his sixth homer in the eighth.

NOTES: The Indians recalled LHP Crockett from Columbus and optioned LHP Nick Hagadone to that Triple-A team. … Cleveland 3B Lonnie Chisenhall’s hitting streak ended at nine games. … Boston has won its last seven home games. … In Saturday’s third game of the four-game series, T.J. House (0-1) pitches for Cleveland against Jake Peavy (1-4).

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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