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Butler’s pinch-hit HR lifts Royals over Indians

By WTOP Staff

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Struggling Billy Butler found himself in a strange place, on the bench and out of the Kansas City Royals starting lineup.

But Butler was needed late on Friday night and he delivered a pinch two-run homer with two outs in the eighth inning to send the Royals over the Cleveland Indians 6-4 for their fourth straight win.

Carlos Santana homered twice for the Indians, who have lost five of six.

Butler connected against John Axford, sending a drive over the Royals bullpen in left field. Butler was hitting just .200 in his previous 20 games with three extra-base hits and two RBIs.

“As of late, the production definitely is not there,” said Butler, who entered this season with a career .298 average. “Over my career, it’s there, but this game is about what you’ve done for me lately. If he (manager Ned Yost) thinks a guy matching up differently is better for the team, that’s what he’s got to do. He’s got a job to do putting the lineup out there.

“It’s just my job to prove I belong in there. I’ve been in the league a long time. If you give up and get put in a situation like that, you don’t compete. I’m not going to give up.”

The Royals won a game of matchup moves. After Salvador Perez singled with one out in the eighth off Carlos Carrasco (3-4), Nick Hagadone entered and got the second out.

Butler batted for Raul Ibanez and homered on Axford’s second pitch.

“It does give you a shot of confidence,” Butler said. “I’ve got a lot of confidence with a bat in my hand anyway. It definitely helps. Hopefully, I build off that.”

Axford gave up the winning hit to Nori Aoki in the 14th inning in a 2-1 loss on Thursday.

“It’s obviously tough after the last two nights,” Axford said. “It was just a bad pitch. I let it stay out over the plate. It was supposed to be away and it ended up in the seats.”

Earlier in the game, the 42-year-old Ibanez drove in a run — becoming the oldest Royals player to hit a triple. Ibanez scored on the play when second baseman Jason Kipnis made a wild relay throw.

Kelvin Herrera (2-2) pitched a scoreless eighth, and Aaron Crow worked around a leadoff double in the ninth to earn his second save in four chances.

Royals closer Greg Holland, who had pitched in the three previous games, was unavailable.

Perez, who had three hits, and Mike Moustakas had back-to-back home runs to open the second. It was the second time this season Perez and Moustakas hit consecutive homers, having also done it April 23 at Cleveland.

“We like hitting in the hot air,” Perez said.

Royals rookie Yordano Ventura, tagged for six runs and nine hits in 4 1/3 innings in his previous start at Boston, left after 6 1/3 innings. He gave up three earned runs and struck out seven.

Santana hit a solo homer in the fourth and a two-run shot in the sixth.

“The first home run to Santana, Ace threw a pretty good pitch, a sinker down and away,” Perez said. “The second one was in the middle in and up.”

Indians right-hander Josh Tomlin, who was 1-5 in his previous seven starts, was pulled after 5 1/3 innings.

“I thought when he made mistakes with his fastball they made him pay,” Indians manager Terry Francona said. “But he always competes every time and keeps you in the game.”

NOTES: RHP Jeremy Guthrie, a first-round pick of the Indians in the 2002 draft, will start Saturday against Cleveland. RHP Zack McAllister will start for the Indians. … Cleveland RHP Justin Masterson, a 2013 All-Star who is on the disabled list with right knee inflammation, made his second rehab start Friday with Triple-A Columbus. He allowed five runs, four hits and six walks in 6 2/3 innings against Norfolk. . Butler’s shot was the 75th pinch-homer in franchise history and the first since Justin Maxwell on Aug. 3, 2013.

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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