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Aoki’s 14th-inning hit lifts Royals over Indians

By WTOP Staff

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — After four hours, 23 minutes and a dozen pitchers combining to throw 397 pitches, Nori Aoki gave the Kansas City Royals a win.

Aoki singled home Lorenzo Cain in the 14th inning to lift the Royals to a 2-1 victory over Cleveland after Indians starter Corey Kluber carried a perfect game into the seventh inning on Thursday night.

Cain opened the 14th with an infield single and stole second before Aoki delivered the winning hit off John Axford on a full-count pitch with one out.

“I was just trying to stay aggressive,” Aoki said. “It wasn’t like I was trying to go the other way or anything like that. I was just looking for a pitch to hit, and if I got that pitch, swing hard.”

Aoki was mobbed by his teammates at second base.

“It was one of the best feelings, and hopefully we have more of those moments the rest of the season,” he said.

Aaron Crow (5-1), the seventh Kansas City pitcher, earned the victory — striking out the side in a perfect 14th.

Left-hander Marc Rzepcynski (0-3), who gave up the hit to Cain, took the loss.

Kluber held the Royals to two hits, retiring the first 19 batters he faced before Omar Infante, who was in a 0-for-16 skid, lined a single to center with one out in the seventh.

“I think it’s hard to rate one performance against another,” Kluber said. “I got in a good groove, and when they got a runner on we were able to catch him stealing.”

Mike Moustakas doubled and scored on a throwing error by left fielder Ryan Raburn in the eighth inning to give the Royals a 1-0 lead. Moustakas hit a fly ball down the left-field line that Raburn nearly caught.

When Raburn tracked down the ball in foul territory, he spiked a throw that rolled into center field.

“How about that,” Moustakas said. “I got a 2-0 fastball that I popped up to left, and Raburn tried to make a good play on it and it ended up hitting off his arm or shoulder.

“I just saw him drop it. I was headed to second. I saw him try to throw the ball in, and I just started running to third base. When I saw the ball kind of floating in left field and doing what I can to get over to third, and Jirsch (third base coach Mike Jirschele) waved me in.”

Raburn was miffed about how the play unfolded.

“It was a freak play,” he said. “I was trying to hold up. I saw our infielders going toward third, and I tried to hold up. I couldn’t and of course the ball rolls halfway to center field.”

The Indians tied it in the ninth off Greg Holland, who blew his second save in 28 chances. Holland walked Carlos Santana leading off the inning, and pinch-hitter Chris Dickerson bunted him to second. Yan Gomes’ two-out single to center scored Santana.

“It was one of those rare occasions when I didn’t have command,” Holland said. “I threw 12 balls and nine strikes. You never want to walk the leadoff hitter in the ninth inning.”

After Infante’s hit, Kluber got out of the inning when Alex Gordon struck out, and Infante was thrown out trying to steal second.

Kluber, who allowed only one unearned run in nine innings, struck out 10 and walked none.

“I wish we’d had some runs so we could sit back and really enjoy it, because that was special,” Indians manager Terry Francona said of Kluber’s performance. “You can use all the adjectives you want. He had dominating stuff.”

Royals starter Danny Duffy, who was 1-5 in his previous six starts, gave up two singles — both to Santana — in seven scoreless innings. Duffy, who also walked two, was pulled after 108 pitches.

Duffy lowered his earned run average to 2.47. He is the only American League pitcher with a losing record with an ERA less than three.

Wade Davis, who replaced Duffy, pitched out of a bases loaded jam in the eighth. With one out, he permitted singles to Jose Ramirez and pinch-hitter David Murphy sandwiched around a walk to Jason Kipnis. Davis then got Michael Brantley to ground into an inning-ending double play.

NOTES: The Royals sent Jimmy Paredes, who was designated for assignment on July 16, to the Orioles for cash considerations. Paredes appeared in nine games with Kansas City, going 2-for-10. He hit .305 with Triple-A Omaha. … Indians SS Asdrubal Cabrera wasn’t in the lineup for the third consecutive game because of back spasms. … Royals 1B Eric Hosmer was held out of the lineup for the third time in four games with a right hand bruise. He entered in the ninth inning as a defensive replacement. … Aoki was the DH for the first time in his career. … The Indians plan to recall RHP Zach McAllister from Triple-A Columbus, where he is 5-0 with a 2.23 ERA in six starts, and start him Saturday against the Royals.

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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