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Norris, Crisp power A’s past Yankees

By WTOP Staff

MICHAEL WAGAMAN
Associated Press

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — The Oakland Athletics took time out to honor retiring Yankees shortstop Derek Jeter before Sunday’s game, giving him a vintage bottle of fine Northern California wine and a check for his foundation.

They didn’t treat New York starter Vidal Nuno nearly so nicely.

Derek Norris and Coco Crisp hit early three-run homers to back a strong start by Jesse Chavez, and the A’s beat the Yankees 10-5 on Sunday.

“We obviously made ourselves a little more well-rounded over the last couple years, but whenever we’re hitting homers we’re winning,” Norris said. “That’s just the bottom line. That’s what we did today.”

The A’s had been held to one run or fewer in four of their previous nine games before taking a 10-0 lead in four innings.

Yoenis Cespedes drove in two runs and Josh Donaldson snapped an 0-for-33 slump with an RBI single.

Chavez (6-4) carried a shutout into the sixth.

With the second-best record in the majors behind San Francisco, the A’s have won three of four and are off to their best start in nearly 25 years.

“It’s good to see,” Oakland manager Bob Melvin said of his club’s power surge. “We haven’t been swinging the bat as well as we were earlier, certainly on the power portion of it. But two big three-run homers today gets you off to a good start.”

Norris, who matched his career high with three hits, homered in the first and Crisp connected in the second off Nuno (1-3).

Carlos Beltran hit his first home run for the Yankees since coming off the disabled list. But the All-Star veteran also was called out on a strange play in the eighth inning when he lost track of the outs and wandered away from first base.

With one out in the eighth and the A’s ahead 10-3, Beltran grounded into a forceout at second. He trotted toward New York’s first-base dugout and got halfway there, then turned around and headed back toward the bag — Beltran was tagged in foul ground.

Umpire Dan Iassogna made the call and Yankees manager Joe Girardi came onto the field for a brief discussion. By rule 7.08, Beltran was out for “abandoning” the base.

“I thought there were two outs,” Beltran said in the Yankees’ quiet clubhouse. “It was too late to go back.”

Chavez blanked the Yankees until Derek Jeter doubled in the sixth and scored on Mark Teixeira’s two-out single. Oakland’s right-hander was stellar otherwise, allowing five hits over six innings with four strikeouts.

“The big key is not walking anybody,” Chavez said. “Today, even if I did go to a full count I didn’t want to give in.”

Beltran homered off reliever Ryan Cook in the seventh.

Brett Gardner also homered for New York, a two-run shot in the ninth. The Yankees put two more runners on base after that against struggling reliever Jim Johnson, and Luke Gregerson came on for the last out.

Jeter played his last scheduled game at the Coliseum and received a lengthy ovation from the sold-out crowd that included several thousand fans decked out in Yankees jerseys. The retiring shortstop was given a bottle of Northern California wine during a pregame ceremony and received a financial donation from the A’s for his Turn 2 Foundation.

It was at the Coliseum, in fact, where Jeter made one of the most memorable plays of his career. His backhanded flip to the plate helped save the Yankees in the 2001 playoffs.

Jeter hit a sacrifice fly with the bases loaded in the seventh before being replaced by Brendan Ryan in the bottom half of the inning.

Nuno, who had allowed only three earned runs total over his previous two outings, allowed eight runs and eight hits in three-plus innings.

NOTES: Norris also hit a three-run home run on Mother’s Day. … The 10 runs were the A’s most against the Yankees since 2007 and helped them snap out of a weeklong power slump. Oakland had hit only one home run over its previous five games. … A’s OF Josh Reddick (hyperextended knee) will begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Sacramento on Tuesday. … Oakland LHP Drew Pomeranz (5-3) pitches against visiting Texas on Monday night. … New York RHP Masahiro Tanaka (10-1) starts against AL East-leading Toronto at Yankee Stadium on Tuesday night in the opener of a three-game series.

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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