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Correia tagged, Twins fall to Abreu, White Sox

By WTOP Staff

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Too bad for Kevin Correia, it was a good night for hitting at Target Field.

Jose Abreu launched his major league-leading 30th homer and drove in three runs, leading the Chicago White Sox past the Twins 9-5 Friday.

Correia (5-13) allowed a season-high 10 hits and seven runs. It was the second straight start where he’s lasted only four innings.

Abreu hit a hanging curveball into the left-center field bullpen to give Chicago a 3-0 lead in the first.

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

On Thursday, Minnesota starter Phil Hughes went only three innings after taking a line drive off his shin and exiting early. Kyle Gibson won’t make his Saturday start because of a sore back and offseason free-agent acquisition Ricky Nolasco remains on the disabled list with a sore elbow.

The Twins could have used a long start from Correia to rest a weary bullpen, but it didn’t happen.

“We need to win games,” Correia said. “I don’t really care about any of the small details right now. I just want to win some games.”

Gardenhire could have sent Correia, who only threw 79 pitches, back out for another inning, but didn’t want to risk further damage to his battered staff.

“I think he was gassed. We don’t want to hurt him, can’t afford that right now,” Gardenhire said.

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

In addition to the homers, the White Sox also had several bloops fall in and dribblers find just the right spot between infielders.

“We were hitting chalk lines and dribblers out front,” Chicago manager Robin Ventura said. “You don’t see that very often, that kind of stuff happening. It makes you feel good.”

Josh Willingham and Oswaldo Arcia homered for Minnesota and Chris Colabello added two RBIs, but it wasn’t enough to climb back out of the early hole dug by Correia.

“We hit the ball decently at the end of the game, but at that point we were down too many runs,” Correia said.

The Twins are now in last place in the AL Central, three games behind Chicago. A veteran like Correia could garner interest at the trade deadline, but not the way he’s currently pitching.

In two second-half starts, Correia is 0-2 with a 11.25 ERA.

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

It’ll be up to Logan Darnell, recalled before Friday’s game, to eat up some innings in his first major league start on Saturday and try to get the Twins’ pitching staff back on track.

John Danks (9-6), the subject of recent trade rumors, gave up four runs over seven innings. Heading into the start, he was 0-6 with a 6.18 ERA in his last eight games against Minnesota.

NOTES: Twins star Joe Mauer began hitting soft toss in the batting cage as he works his way back from an oblique strain. … Gibson hopes to start Tuesday’s game in Kansas City. Darnell will face All-Star Chris Sale (9-1, 2.03). … Hughes felt better Friday and doesn’t expect to miss his next start. … 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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