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Phelps, Yankees pound A’s 7-0 for 4th straight win

By WTOP Staff

ANTONIO GONZALEZ
AP Sports Writer

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Road-weary David Phelps finally pitched well away from home. The New York Yankees scored in bunches without the benefit of a home run. And they beat the AL’s best team in a place they had not won in more than two years.

Indeed, things are turning around fast out west.

Phelps tossed two-hit ball into the seventh inning and two relievers were perfect the rest of the way, leading the Yankees past the AL-best Oakland Athletics 7-0 on Friday night for their fourth straight victory.

“It’s definitely one of the best starts of my career,” said Phelps, who struck out four and walked three in 6 2-3 innings.

Phelps (2-4) didn’t allow a hit until Derek Norris’ soft single over the head of third baseman Kelly Johnson with one out in the fifth. Jed Lowrie’s double in the seventh was Oakland’s only other hit.

Dellin Betances recorded four straight outs, and Jose Ramirez pitched a perfect ninth for New York.

Jacoby Ellsbury, Mark Teixeira and Brett Gardner each drove in a run as the Yankees built a 3-0 lead against Sonny Gray (6-3) in the first two innings. New York scored four more in the eighth off Jeff Francis.

Six different Yankees drove in a run, and New York had 12 hits in all.

“That’s the recipe for scoring a lot of runs,” Yankees manager Joe Girardi said.

Coming off a three-game sweep at Seattle, the Yankees kept rolling on the road against the AL West. New York is 5-2 on its nine-game trip and is assured of heading home with a winning mark.

The Yankees pounded an A’s team that began Friday leading the majors in run differential by more than double any other team. Oakland had outscored opponents by 130 runs; the next closest club was San Francisco at 59.

Ellsbury extended his hitting streak to 17 games with an RBI single during a two-run first inning. Brett Gardner added an RBI single in the third before Gray found his groove.

Oakland’s young ace retired 13 straight batters, but his teammates never could fluster Phelps — or New York’s bullpen.

“They were aggressive and once we were able to start making pitches down in the zone I got them out. It was just a little too late,” said Gray, who gave up three runs and seven hits in six innings. He struck out seven and walked one.

Ichiro Suzuki drove in two runs, and Brian McCann and Johnson each hit RBI singles to put the Yankees up 7-0 in the eighth.

New York had lost all five of Phelps’ road starts this season, including his last outing at Kansas City, where he allowed seven runs in 5 2-3 innings.

But Phelps pitched a gem in Oakland, a place the Yankees had lost seven in a row. He also snapped a career-high, four-game skid in front of an announced crowd of 36,067 — the fifth sellout in Oakland this season — that had the usual strong sprinkling of Yankees fans to make Phelps feel at home.

“I was attacking guys,” Phelps said. “The last couple starts I was trying to be too fine with my pitches and digging myself in a hole. But tonight, they did a great job scoring early for me and kind of let me settle in a little early.”

NOTES: The A’s showed a video tribute of Bob Welch and held a moment of silence the former A’s pitcher and 1990 AL Cy Young Award winner. Welch died Monday at 57 of undisclosed causes. … Girardi said RHP Michael Pineda, who went on the disabled list May 6 with a shoulder strain, is unlikely to return until August. … Oakland RF Josh Reddick ran on the field for the first time since going on the disabled list June 3 with a hyperextended right knee. He also hit in the batting cage. … Scott Kazmir (7-2, 2.20 ERA) starts for Oakland opposite New York’s Hideki Kuroda (4-4, 4.12) on Saturday.

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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