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Yankees lose 5-1 to A’s after light outage delay

By WTOP Staff

ANTONIO GONZALEZ
AP Sports Writer

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — A partial power outage with the outfield lights at the Oakland Coliseum put a small shadow over the Athletics and the New York Yankees on Saturday night.

Scott Kazmir and the A’s never gave the Yankees offense any kind of daylight when play resumed.

Kazmir pitched another gem and two relievers pitched perfect ball the rest of the way as the A’s handed the Yankees a 5-1 loss following the Oakland Coliseum’s latest maintenance problem.

The game was stopped for 38 minutes in the middle of the fourth inning because of an outage to the panel of lights above left field. The A’s said the circuit breaker turned off and had to be manually reset, while players from both sides said that the lights never initially turned on.

Yankees manager Joe Girardi said he first noticed the issue in the second inning but didn’t mention it to umpires.

“I was saying something to our guys, you know, ‘Are those lights always off?'” Girardi said. “They were never on, which makes me wonder why someone didn’t notice who is here every day.”

New York’s four-game winning streak ended because of its own errors. Two passed balls by backup catcher John Ryan Murphy, who was inserted in the lineup after Mark Teixeira was scratched with what he called a spasm in his midback, helped Oakland score twice in the fifth.

But the delay surely didn’t help Hiroki Kuroda (4-5), who compared the stoppage to a rain delay. He allowed four runs and five hits in 4 2-3 innings. That included a perfect fourth after the delay before he lost his rhythm in the fifth — and so did his catcher.

“The fact that I couldn’t protect (the lead) was really frustrating,” Kuroda said.

Kazmir (8-2) allowed one unearned run and three hits in six innings for his third straight win. Dan Otero pitched two perfect innings before Sean Doolittle closed out the Yankees in the ninth.

Kazmir stayed warm in the clubhouse during the delay and then threw a simulated inning in the bullpen, which wrapped up just as the lights came back on.

“It worked out perfectly,” Kazmir said.

Brian McCann was switched from catcher to first base after the Yankees took Teixeira out about 30 minutes before the game. Murphy moved into the catcher’s spot.

Sogard walked, advanced to second on Coco Crisp’s single and moved to third on Murphy’s first passed ball. Sogard scored on John Jaso’s groundout, and Crisp came home on Murphy’s second passed ball to put the A’s up 4-1.

After being held out of Friday night’s game to rest his sore right ankle, Sogard came through at the plate and in the field.

Sogard lined a two-out, two-run single to center to give the A’s a 2-0 lead in the second, and he cut down Kelly Johnson at home after fielding a grounder by Jeter in the fifth.

New York scored its only run in the third when shortstop Andy Parrino sailed his throw to first on Derek Jeter’s grounder. Parrino got the run back when he hit an RBI double in the sixth.

But the latest maintenance issue at Oakland’s dual-purpose ballpark overshadowed the Kazmir’s latest gem and anything else the A’s did on the field.

The aging Coliseum, which is shared with the NFL’s Oakland Raiders and is the only stadium in the country still home to teams from both leagues, has had multiple plumbing problems the past two years. The A’s have been trying for years to move to a new ballpark, including in San Jose, which the San Francisco Giants contend is part of their territory.

The A’s are in the process of negotiating a new lease at the Coliseum, which opened in 1966, though it’s unclear what — if any — facility upgrades will be included in a potential deal.

“That’s the Coliseum for ya,” Sogard said. “That’s why we love this place. Never know what you’re gonna get.”

NOTES: Teixeira said he doesn’t think the injury is serious and he might be able to play Sunday. … Yankees CF Jacoby Ellsbury had his 17-game hitting streak snapped after going 0-for-3 with a walk. … Yankees 2B Brian Roberts (sore right knee) sat out and DH Carlos Beltran had the day off. … The Yankees send lefty Vidal Nuno (1-4, 4.97 ERA) to the mound opposite Oakland’s Jesse Chavez (5-4, 3.04 ERA) in Sunday’s series finale.

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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