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Abreu hits 30th HR, White Sox beat Twins 9-5

By WTOP Staff

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Chicago manager Robin Ventura is no longer surprised when Jose Abreu hits a long home run or does something else spectacular.

Abreu hit his major league-leading 30th homer and drove in three runs, leading the White Sox past the Minnesota Twins 9-5 on Friday night.

“I think we’re past the point of unexpected with him,” Ventura said. “You just expect him to be in the middle of things when it’s happening.”

Abreu had two hits and scored twice. The Cuban rookie has 77 RBIs — Detroit’s Miguel Cabrera began the day leading the majors with 80.

Fellow slugger and teammate Adam Dunn is even more impressed with Abreu than his manager.

“Baseball’s been around a long time and there’s been a lot of rookies come up but for him to do what he’s done, I don’t think anybody expected that,” Dunn said. “Am I surprised by it? Not really.”

The White Sox said in research by the Elias Sports Bureau that Abreu’s 89 games are the third fastest in major league history to reach 30 home runs. He also joined Jose Canseco and Tony Oliva as the only Cuban-born rookies to hit 30 homers.

Alexei Ramirez and Tyler Flowers also homered for the White Sox. Dayan Viciedo tied a career high with four of Chicago’s 17 hits.

John Danks (9-6), the subject of recent trade rumors, gave up four runs over seven innings.

Oswaldo Arcia and Josh Willingham homered for Minnesota, which has lost 10 of its last 13 home games.

Abreu drove a hanging curveball from Kevin Correia (5-13) into the bullpen in left-center field to give Chicago a 3-0 lead in the first inning.

“The ball was flying everywhere. Bloops, blasts, the whole package,” Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said.

The White Sox have won six of their last nine.

Danks set down 12 batters in a row before Chris Colabello lined two-run single in the sixth.

Heading into the start, Danks was 0-6 with a 6.18 ERA in his last eight games against Minnesota.

An early three-run blast from Abreu sure helps in forgetting about some of those trade rumors.

“I don’t get caught up in any of that, I really don’t,” Danks said. “I’ve heard some things about the rumors and stuff out there. I have no control over that. I’m going to be in Chicago hopefully my whole career, but if something happens we’ll cross that bridge when we get there.”

After Kurt Suzuki had a sacrifice fly in the Twins second, Ramirez opened the third with a home run off the facing of the upper deck in left.

Flowers sent a drive off the upper deck to start the seventh, one of his three hits.

Correia, also mentioned in trade speculation, lasted just four innings for the second consecutive start. Watching those balls fly over the fence and the bloopers find open space wasn’t any fun for him.

“That’s two bad starts in a row. I need to get on another good run here,” Correia said.

NOTES: Twins star Joe Mauer began hitting soft toss in the batting cage as he works his way back from an oblique strain. … Viciedo has three four-hit games in his career. … The Twins recalled LHP Logan Darnell to make his first big league start on Saturday in place of the injured Kyle Gibson (back). Gibson hopes to start Tuesday’s game in Kansas City. Darnell will face All-Star Chris Sale (9-1, 2.03). … To make room for Darnell, Minnesota optioned SS Jorge Polanco to Double-A New Britain.

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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