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White Sox’s slide at 4 after 6-3 loss to Royals

By WTOP Staff

CHICAGO (AP) — The Chicago White Sox were unable to slow down the surging Kansas City Royals.

Another subpar performance by a starting pitcher left the White Sox in an early catch-up mode on Sunday, when the Royals handed them a 6-3 loss, their fourth in a row.

Andre Rienzo (4-4) allowed six runs and six hits in the first four innings before he settled down. He remained winless since May 20, but could keep his spot in the rotation because of a lack of viable options at the minor and major league levels.

“Right now, we’ll keep going with him,” manager Robin Ventura said. “We’ll re-access (the situation). He has just got to pitch better. That would help, too.”

Long home runs accounted for five of the runs, a two-run, 431-foot blast by Eric Hosmer in the first inning and a three-run, 418-foot shot by Salvador Perez two innings later.

“I made some mistakes, and their guys enjoyed that,” Rienzo said. “After the two home runs, I threw well, but they definitely hurt me and the team. I made some (better) results, but I made them late.”

The White Sox had 12 hits and had at least two base runners in seven of the nine innings but stranded 13 overall.

“It is what it is,” said Gordon Beckham, whose only hit came with the bases empty.

“When you’re in a hole, it’s definitely hard to win games. That being said, we really haven’t dug our pitchers out of holes offensively much at all. So we need to do a better of that.”

James Shields (8-3) won his fifth straight decision and the Royals extended their season-high win streak to seven games. He pitched out of trouble throughout his outing.

“We’re playing great baseball,” Hosmer said. “We’re getting off to early leads. We’re giving our pitchers breathing room early. The way they have been throwing for us all year, they have been lights out.

“We have to forget about this one. It was a good series for us. Any time you sweep someone in the division is huge, but we have a big series coming up against Detroit (this week).”

Shields allowed three runs and 10 hits in six innings. Greg Holland pitched a scoreless ninth for his 20th save in 21 chances.

The Royals haven’t lost with Shields on the mound since May 2, and he’s 5-0 in eight starts because of the Royals’ 42 runs of support.

The White Sox have lost 10 of their past 11 home games against the Royals and been outscored 53-20 in them.

With one out in the first inning, Hosmer connected on a 1-2 pitch for a two-run shot to center. It was his fourth of the season.

With the Royals up 2-1 in the third inning with two outs, Billy Butler was hit by Rienzo’s pitch. Alex Gordon drew a walk then Perez followed with a long homer to left field, giving the Royals a 5-1 lead. It was Perez’s seventh of the season.

Mike Moustakas scored from second on Jarrod Dyson’s RBI single in the fourth inning after he was initially ruled out on a force at second base. The call was overturned after a challenge.

Adam Eaton led off the first inning with a hard grounder that went underneath Hosmer’s glove at first. Eaton wound up with a stand-up triple.

One pitch later, Shields appeared to have Eaton picked off at third base, but plate umpire Paul Emmel ruled that Shields did not step off the rubber and awarded Eaton home.

Royals manager Ned Yost argued the balk and was tossed by Emmel as he was headed back to the dugout. Yost then confronted Emmel for another animated conversation before leaving the game.

Alejandro De Aza had a two-run double off Shields in the fourth inning.

NOTES: Yost was ejected for the third time this season. … White Sox LHP John Danks is scheduled to start on Tuesday against the Giants. He is 2-1 with a 2.11 ERA in his past three starts. … Eaton finished the game with three hits and a walk in five trips to the plate. … Hitless in his past 20 at-bats, Tyler Flowers was benched in favor of Adrian Nieto behind the plate.

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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