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Rangers use record 31st pitcher, beat A’s 4-1

By WTOP Staff

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Jerome Williams became the record 31st pitcher for Texas this season, Neftali Feliz was back in a familiar finishing role and the Rangers finally got a home victory in July.

Williams pitched six solid innings in an unlikely start and Feliz got his first save in three seasons for the Rangers in a 4-1 victory over AL West-leading Oakland on Friday night.

” I’m happy to be back in the role, and the more happy I feel because I got a win for the team,” Feliz said through an interpreter after working around two runners in a scoreless ninth. “I like to have that adrenaline flow through me, because I feel fans pulling for me to finish.”

Feliz, the closer again after Joakim Soria was traded to Detroit earlier this week, got his first regular-season save since 2011. The former All-Star’s last opportunity, before moving to the rotation and then getting hurt and needing Tommy John surgery, was a blown save in Game 6 of the 2011 World Series against St. Louis.

“He got it done. I’m more than certain the more he gets the ball, the easier it will probably come,” manager Ron Washington said. “We’ll just keep giving him the ball and see where it goes.”

Elvis Andrus had a triple among his two hits and scored twice for the Rangers, who had lost their seven previous home games in July and were coming off a 2-5 road trip out of the All-Star break.

The Athletics still have the best record in the majors at 63-39, and they have a 22 1-2-game division lead over last-place Texas, which has won only six of its last 33 games.

Williams (2-4) allowed one run while striking out four without a walk. The 32-year-old right-hander was released by Houston earlier this month and signed to a minor league deal with the Rangers two weeks ago. He also pitched previously for San Francisco, the Chicago Cubs, Washington and the division rival Los Angeles Angels.

“I didn’t think I was going to come to Texas because I played for the rival,” Williams said. “I can’t really look at the future right now. I can only look at the present.”

Texas purchased Williams’ contract from Triple-A Round Rock as planned Friday to start in place of Nick Tepesch, who pitched in relief in the Rangers’ 14-inning loss to the New York Yankees on Tuesday night. Tepesch is scheduled to start Saturday night.

The Rangers have used a majors-high 52 players, three short of the club record. But 31 pitchers broke the previous mark, and they still have reliever Nate Adcock waiting for his season debut after coming up from Round Rock on Thursday.

Texas led for good on J.P. Arencibia’s RBI single after Jim Adduci had a leadoff double over center fielder Yoenis Cespedes in the second off Jason Hammel (0-3). Andrus had a two-out triple in the third past Cespedes and scored on a single by Alex Rios.

Hammel lost his third straight start since coming from the Chicago Cubs with Jeff Samardzija in the July 5 trade. Hammel allowed four runs (three earned) in 5 2-3 innings.

“The easiest thing here is to start getting down on myself, but I’m not going to do that,” he said. “I did a lot of good things tonight, save for a few hard-hit balls.”

Yoenis Cespedes was back in Oakland’s lineup after missing Thursday with a sprained right thumb, and started in center field for only the second time this year. He had an RBI single in the sixth for Oakland’s only run.

Cespedes had an error in the sixth on a wide throw home after Adrian Beltre’s RBI single. Rios and Beltre got an extra base, and Adduci followed with a sacrifice fly.

NOTES: Oakland manager Bob Melvin successfully challenged to have two safe calls at first base overturned on replay. Arencibia was initially ruled safe on a pickoff throw by Hammel in the fourth. Andrus was called safe on what would have been an infield single, but wound up the inning-ending out in the seventh. … Rangers pitching coach Mike Maddux and longtime broadcaster Eric Nadel have hall passes to miss this weekend’s series. Nadel, in his 20th season as the lead voice on Rangers radio broadcasts, will receive the 38th Ford C. Frick Award at the annual Hall of Fame awards ceremony Saturday in Cooperstown. Maddux is there for the National Baseball Hall of Fame induction Sunday of his brother Greg, a special assistant for the Rangers.

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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