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Tigers’ Porcello hoping for All-Star opportunity

By WTOP Staff

NOAH TRISTER
AP Baseball Writer

DETROIT (AP) — As of now, Max Scherzer is the only pitcher representing Detroit’s starting rotation on the American League All-Star team.

He’d like to help change that.

Scherzer is lobbying fans to support teammate Rick Porcello in the online vote for the AL’s final spot. The 25-year-old Porcello threw back-to-back shutouts recently to put himself on the fringe of the All-Star roster, but he’s not a member of the team yet.

“We need our fans to really show up and vote for Rick,” said Scherzer, who started the All-Star game last year and eventually won the Cy Young Award. “Come on fans, vote for Rick.”

With or without an All-Star invite, Porcello is developing into the pitcher many thought he could be after the Tigers drafted him in the first round in 2007. He made his debut as a 20-year-old, winning 14 games in 2009.

Since then, he’s been a consistent presence in the rotation, but he’s never been able to match the 3.96 ERA he posted as a rookie.

Until this year, perhaps.

Porcello is 11-5 with a 3.53 ERA so far, helping the Tigers remain in first place most of the season despite Justin Verlander’s struggles and Anibal Sanchez’s brief injury problems.

The candidates for the final All-Star spot in the AL are all pitchers: Porcello, Dallas Keuchel of Houston, Corey Kluber of Cleveland, Garrett Richards of the Los Angeles Angels and Chris Sale of the Chicago White Sox.

“Obviously, it would be awesome to be able to go, but at the same time, it doesn’t take anything away from how well I feel like I’ve pitched the first half,” Porcello said. “I’m proud of the work I’ve done the first half.”

Porcello set a career high with 142 strikeouts last year, but that’s never been his calling card. He succeeds when he’s able to keep the ball down — with a career groundball percentage of 53.1.

“He’s throwing strikes at a really high rate,” Scherzer said. “He’s not walking guys, which is always a recipe for success. His offspeed pitches have really sharpened up. … He’s always had the sinker. Nothing’s changed in the sinker, it’s what he’s doing with his other offspeed pitches that allows him to be more effective.”

Immediately after being included in the final vote for the All-Star team, Porcello allowed seven runs Sunday night in a loss to Tampa Bay. Not an ideal audition on national television.

But before that, Porcello had a 25-inning scoreless streak.

“We’ve said all along the key for him is being down with his sinker,” manager Brad Ausmus said. “When it gets up, it gets flat and you see more flyballs.”

“He made the adjustment, he actually started getting the ball down in the zone. He got some groundballs, a couple of them found holes and ended up being hits but he got the groundballs he was trying to get,” Ausmus said.

Detroit has three players in the All-Star game at the moment: Scherzer, Miguel Cabrera and Victor Martinez. Ausmus had been hoping Porcello and second baseman Ian Kinsler would get in as well from the AL Central leaders.

“It’s tough when you have that many guys on one team with the All-Star game roster rules, it’s tough for all of them to make it,” Ausmus said. “But if Rick can win, we get four out of five and who knows what can happen between now and the All-Star game, maybe Kins gets on there as well. All of them were deserving.”

NOTES: Cabrera said he was invited to participate in the All-Star home run derby, but he’ll sit out because he doesn’t want to mess with his swing. “I’m going to enjoy watching,” he said.

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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