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Nolasco hit hard as Twins lose to Yankees 9-7

By WTOP Staff

BRIAN HALL
Associated Press

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Minnesota manager Ron Gardenhire had a scathing assessment of Ricky Nolasco.

Nolasco allowed six runs and seven hits in a season-low two innings, and the Twins couldn’t overcome a nine-run deficit in a 9-7 loss to the New York Yankees on Sunday.

“He did nothing,” Gardenhire said. “He didn’t have anything. Nothing was coming out of his hand. They hit everything he threw up there.”

Nolasco (5-7), signed to $49 million, four-year contract, has a 5.90 ERA, the highest among 93 qualifying pitchers in the major leagues. He is 1-2 with a 6.53 ERA in his last six starts.

Minnesota lost for the 10th time in 13 games and is last in the AL Central at 39-48 as it prepares to host the All-Star game on July 15.

“It was a bad one,” Nolasco said. “Didn’t have anything, but that’s no excuse. Usually you battle and try to find a way. Just had a couple bad innings, and that’s all I had. I wanted to go back out and try to battle, but any time you do that to your team and drop them down 6-0, it’s tough.”

Gardenhire wouldn’t rule out a trip to the bullpen.

“We’re discussing a lot of options,” he said. “We’re trying to figure it out ourselves. It starts with him. You know what, he’s got to do a better job. Bottom line is he needs to figure out something because today wasn’t any good at all. He didn’t do anything. He didn’t locate anything. They were all over every pitch. So, we’ve got to figure out where we go next.”

Jacoby Ellsbury homered, doubled and drove in four runs for the Yankees, who moved back above .500 at 44-43. Before the game, New York traded Vidal Nuno to Arizona for Brandon McCarthy and cut outfielder Alfonso Soriano.

“Sometimes you can’t really pinpoint it, but we like where we’re at right now,” Ellsbury said. “Hopefully keep it rolling.”

Derek Jeter and Ichiro Suzuki each had three hits for the Yankees, who have won 14 of 18 overall at Target Field. Jeter’s ninth-inning single made him the eighth player to reach 3,400 hits.

“We pay a little bit of attention, but I don’t think he pays too close attention to it,” Yankees manager Joe Girardi said. “Obviously, he’s going to end up way up there in record books. He pays more attention to wins, and that’s what we worry about.”

New York took three of four from the Twins after losing nine of its previous 11.

After Oswaldo Arcia’s two-out RBI single pulled the Twins within two runs and left runners at the corners, David Robertson got Kurt Suzuki to hit a grounder to shortstop, where Jeter threw to second baseman Brian Roberts for the final out. Robertson got his 21st save in 23 chances.

Trevor Plouffe had an RBI double in the fourth and Chris Colabello followed with a two-run homer, his second home run in three games since his recall from the minors. Plouffe added a solo home run in the eighth.

“Can’t keep getting behind like this. It just gets back to that,” Gardenhire said. “It’s the starting pitching. It’s not about anything other than that. We’ve been struggling scoring runs. We finally put some on the board. But you start a game 6-0, that’s no way to play baseball.”

NOTES: Twins OF Byron Buxton, among the top prospects in the minors, played his first game with Class A Fort Myers after being sidelined with a sprained left wrist. Minnesota GM Terry Ryan said Buxton will play center field and get two or three at-bats as he works his way back. … Minnesota will start RHP Kevin Correia (4-10, 4.94) when it plays at Seattle on Monday. The Mariners will use RHP Hisashi Iwakuma (6-4, 3.33).

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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