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Yankee Stadium short porch hurts Blue Jays again

By WTOP Staff

RICK FREEMAN
AP Sports Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — To lose 15 games in a row in one ballpark takes a lot of lousy luck.

The Toronto Blue Jays know all about that after dropping their 15th straight at Yankee Stadium with a 7-3 defeat Wednesday night.

For the second night in a row, a short home run to right field proved their undoing.

Brian McCann hit a go-ahead, two-run homer and later added a bases-loaded triple for New York. The night before, Brett Gardner hit one off the foul pole in right, just above the sign indicating the fence is 314 feet from home plate.

I gave up a flyball to right field that’s a two-run homer and we lose the game,” starter Mark Buehrle said. “Same thing as yesterday — a little 318-foot flyball that ends up going out. It’s frustrating when you come out and battle, tonight and last night, and pretty much it’s two losses on that short porch in right field.”

The Yankees beat Buehrle for the ninth straight time and took the first two in a three-game series.

Buehrle (10-4) was trying to tie Yankees ace Masahiro Tanaka for the most wins in the majors. The left-hander gave up three runs and six hits in six innings and lost his third straight start overall.

Buehrle is 1-11 lifetime against the Yankees, with his lone win coming in 2004 with the Chicago White Sox.

“Maybe we don’t like the bright lights of Broadway, is all I can figure. They definitely have our number,” Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said. “I thought (Buehrle) did a good job. McCann got him for the two-run homer like Gardner did last night.”

McCann tied his career high with five RBIs.

Toronto’s Jose Bautista had an RBI double in the eighth for his 1,000th career hit.

“Individually it’s a nice number and hopefully I can keep going and get 1,000 more,” Bautista said. “Even though I am considered a power hitter, 1,000 hits is nothing to not be excited and be proud of — especially the way I began my career bouncing around from team to team.”

McCann’s third big league triple, and first since 2009 with Atlanta, came off left-hander Brett Cecil, who was brought in to face pinch-hitter Ichiro Suzuki with the Blue Jays down 3-2 in the seventh.

Cecil walked Suzuki with the bases loaded to force in a run before McCann put the game safely out of reach.

McCann was hitting .174 in June before his homer in the fourth, which was estimated at 348 feet — not far enough to clear most fences in the majors. He helped the Yankees respond after the Blue Jays took a 2-1 lead on two-out RBI singles by Colby Rasmus and Dioner Navarro in the top half.

Alfonso Soriano’s first-inning single put the Yankees on the board.

New York rookie Chase Whitley (3-0) remained unbeaten in seven starts since making his big league debut this season.

Whitley gave up two runs and five hits in five innings. He walked Melky Cabrera in the fifth, ending his streak of starts without a walk at three. Whitley’s last walk was May 26 against the Cardinals.

NOTES: Toronto 3B Brett Lawrie was hit in back of the left hand by a pitch in the fourth inning and replaced by Steve Tolleson in the bottom of the fifth. Tolleson had appeared in the on-deck circle the inning before. X-rays did not appear to show any broken bones. … The series ends Thursday night, with Yankees RHP David Phelps (2-4) set to face righty Drew Hutchison (5-4). … Toronto OF Melky Cabrera extended his streak of games with a hit against his former team to 18 with a first-inning single. . Derek Jeter saw six pitches in his first four at-bats, going 0 for 4 before he popped up a bunt attempt in the seventh. He hit a double off the wall in the eighth, giving him 533, one behind Lou Gehrig as the Yankees leader. . Gardner singled his first four times up before a lineout in the eighth. . McCann was the first Yankees catcher to have a homer, a triple and five RBIs since Elston Howard on Aug. 19, 1962.

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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