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Rays fall to Astros 7-3

By WTOP Staff

JEREMY RAKES
Associated Press

HOUSTON (AP) — Things unraveled for Tampa Bay starter Chris Archer after he missed a catch on an error covering first base in the third inning.

Though Archer lamented the error, he knows he had plenty of opportunities to turn things around after that miscue and simply couldn’t in a 7-3 loss to the Houston Astros on Saturday.

Archer (3-4) was done in after the error by a lack of control in his shortest start this season. He allowed three hits and six runs — one earned — with three walks in three innings.

“I didn’t execute pitches,” Archer said. “It had nothing to do with me not making that play at first base. Yeah, I was frustrated. There’s a ton of plays in a game. There were 40 pitches after that where I could have executed.”

The right-hander had allowed just three runs over 31 innings spanning his past five starts entering Saturday’s game.

Matt Dominguez broke out of a slump with two hits, including a three-run double in Houston’s big third inning to help the Astros to the victory.

Dominguez was 1 for 12 in the first three games of this homestand before singling in the second inning. The Astros led by one when he cleared the bases with his double in a five-run third inning that made it 5-1.

Rays manager Joe Madden said Archer did not look comfortable on Saturday.

“The slider to Dominguez, that was a big play that goes in the gap,” Maddon said. “If he gets out of that, even after they score the one run on the mishap at first base, go ahead and score the one run and let’s just shut it down with two outs. Then they compounded it. That was really the downfall right there.”

Before Dominguez’s double, Marwin Gonzalez got things going in the third with a one-out double before advancing to third on a wild pitch. Fowler reached and Gonzalez scored to tie it at 1-1 on the error by Archer with two outs.

Archer slipped and fell onto his stomach while trying to make that catch, and was unable to locate his pitches after that.

“I should have made the play,” Archer said. “We are baseball players. I work on my fielding. We work on most plays in spring training countless times. I should have made the play.”

He plunked George Springer on the left shoulder and walked Jon Singleton before giving Houston the lead by walking Jason Castro.

Dominguez followed with his double to center field, which hit on the wall just inches shy of the home run line, to make it 5-1. The play was reviewed and upheld.

“You fall behind hitters sometimes,” Archer said. “I feel like I should have made better pitches in the third inning when I had two outs.”

Archer escaped the inning by striking out Chris Carter.

Jarred Cosart (6-5) allowed nine hits and three runs in seven innings in his longest outing since May 5 for the win.

The Astros got back on track after striking out a season-high 16 times in a 6-1 loss in the opener Friday night.

Dexter Fowler had two RBIs and Marwin Gonzalez, who was filling in for the injured Jose Altuve, had three hits and scored twice.

Altuve missed his second straight game after being hit on the right hand by a pitch on Thursday night.

Evan Longoria homered and drove in all of the runs for the Rays, who have lost 15 of their past 18 games.

Rookie Kevin Kiermaier doubled with one out in the first and scored on a single by Longoria to put Tampa Bay up 1-0.

“I feel good right there,” Kiermaier said. “I am not trying to do too much. I am trying to see the ball as early as possible. I had pretty good pitch recognition today. I took advantage of some pretty good pitches to hit.”

Alex Presley walked to start the fourth inning and chased Archer. He was replaced by Cesar Ramos, who was greeted with a single by Gonzalez. Ramos struck out Jonathan Villar before Fowler’s two-run double to center field pushed the lead to 7-1.

Desmond Jennings singled with one out in the fifth before Longoria launched his eighth home run this season into the Crawford Boxes in left field to get Tampa Bay within 7-3.

NOTES: The series wraps up on Sunday when Tampa Bay left-hander David Price opposes Brad Peacock. … Kiermaier had two doubles on Saturday to give him 12 extra-base hits in 21 career games, which is the most in Rays history in such a span, surpassing the 11 Delmon Young had in 2007.

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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