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Orioles fall to Blue Jays 5-2 for 4-game split

By WTOP Staff

DAVID GINSBURG
AP Sports Writer

BALTIMORE (AP) — Home-field advantage hasn’t taken hold this season for the Baltimore Orioles, especially when Chris Tillman is on the mound.

The Orioles wasted a fine pitching effort by Tillman and lost to the Toronto Blue Jays 5-2 Sunday, leaving Baltimore with an unsatisfying split of the four-game series.

The defeat dropped the Orioles 4 1/2 games behind the first-place Blue Jays in the AL East and dropped their record at Camden Yards to 16-17.

Baltimore went 5-5 during a homestand against Oakland, Boston and Toronto.

“Obviously when you play at home you want to play a little above .500,” said Adam Jones, who hit his 11th homer for the Orioles. “We’re playing some good teams. That’s the beauty of it. The competitive level is rising and it’s fun to see.”

Tillman (5-4) allowed three runs and eight hits in seven innings. He’s 0-4 with a 2.78 ERA at home and 5-0 with a 6.33 ERA on the road.

“That’s how it goes in baseball,” Jones said. “He threw the ball well today. Unfortunately, we were unable to score him some runs. We had a couple opportunities, but he can only do what he can control. Today he went out there and gave us everything he had.”

Tillman didn’t issue a walk or record a strikeout.

“I’m trying to make these guys put the ball in play as soon as possible,” the right-hander said. “If that’s the way the way it’s going to be, fine. I’m going to take it.”

Nelson Cruz had three hits and his major league-leading 56th RBI for the Orioles, who are 17-11 against division foes.

J.A. Happ pitched effectively into the seventh inning and Dioner Navarro had three hits and two RBIs to help the Blue Jays forge a split.

“It means a lot,” Navarro said.

“It’s a good series in general. We made some good plays, we got some clutch hitting,” Toronto slugger Jose Bautista said. “A series split on the road against the second-place team is something to not be too upset about.”

Edwin Encarnacion also had three hits for the Blue Jays, who had totaled 15 runs in losing six of their previous eight games. Led by Navarro, Toronto banged out 12 hits against Tillman and two relievers.

Navarro had two doubles and a single.

“I know people to expect the runs to come from the big boys,” he said. “You cannot always depend on the big dogs. You can count on the little guys sometimes.”

Happ (6-3) gave up one run, seven hits and no walks in six-plus innings. He had lost two of his previous three starts, yielding 12 earned runs over 17 2-3 innings.

“Happ was outstanding, he really was,” manager John Gibbons said. “He gave us a chance to win out there.”

Casey Janssen got four outs for his 12th save.

The Blue Jays went up 5-1 with a two-run eighth against Tommy Hunter. Navarro hit an RBI double and Steve Tolleson added a run-scoring groundout.

Jones hit his 11th homer of the season in the bottom half off Dustin McGowan, but Janssen made sure the Orioles wouldn’t score again.

“The goal is always to win series,” Happ said, “but to split is pretty good, too.”

Toronto got a first-inning run on an RBI double by Bautista, who one pitch earlier thought he had drawn a walk on a 3-1 offering that umpire Jerry Layne called a strike.

The Blue Jays wasted a leadoff double in the second inning but converted the same situation in the fourth. After Encarnacion doubled, Navarro blooped an RBI single to left field for a 2-0 lead.

In the Toronto fifth, Anthony Gose snapped a 5-for-38 skid with a leadoff single, advanced on a double by Jose Reyes and scored on a fly ball by Melky Cabrera.

Baltimore closed to 3-1 in the sixth when Jones hit a two-out double and Cruz singled him home.

NOTES: It was the first time since May 27, 2010, against Oakland that Baltimore pitchers did not record a single strikeout. … Orioles 1B Chris Davis was given a rare day off by manager Buck Showalter, even though the slugger had four homers in his past 11 games. … The Blue Jays have Monday off, while the Orioles continue a 13-game run against AL East foes in Tampa Bay against the last-place Rays. … Umpire Hunter Wendelstedt was scratched, one day after he fell backward and hit his head upon being unintentionally brushed by Jones. … The crowd of 46,469 was Baltimore’s fifth sellout of the season and second in the 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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