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Sale shuts down Twins in White Sox’s 7-0 win

By WTOP Staff

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Chris Sale credits his offensive support for helping him settle into a good rhythm on the mound.

It might actually be the other way around, with Sale’s dominating starts taking pressure off the Chicago White Sox hitters.

Either way, it’s working.

Sale tied a season high with 12 strikeouts in eight dominant innings, Alexei Ramirez hit his 10th homer, and the White Sox beat Minnesota 7-0 on Saturday night for their third straight win over the Twins.

Sale (10-1) scattered five hits — all singles — and became the first White Sox starter to win 10 of his first 11 decisions in a season since Mark Buehrle in 2005.

“I think this is probably the fastest I’ve seen him work,” White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. “Just getting the ball, not a lot of shaking off or anything like that. He was just throwing. And he was throwing everything, too.”

Sale had a double-digit strikeout total for the 15th time in his career, moving him into a tie for second on the team’s all-time list with Juan Pizarro. Sale’s 1.88 ERA is the lowest mark among qualified pitchers in the majors, and he’s allowed just three earned runs in July.

The White Sox, fourth in the AL Central at 51-54, are still longshots to make the playoffs. However, they have won seven of their last 10 games and can sweep the Twins in a four-game series for the first time since 2008 before traveling to first-place Detroit.

“We’ve got all the right pieces in all the right places,” Sale said. “It’s just a matter of stringing some wins together. Obviously we’re all very comfortable with each other and we have confidence in each other to go out there and produce and to win games.”

Chicago had its way against Twins starter Logan Darnell (0-1) in his first major league start. A day after being recalled to fill in for injured Kyle Gibson, Darnell allowed seven runs and 11 hits while striking out seven in five innings.

“I really wasn’t nervous,” Darnell said. “If anything I was just trying to focus on what my plan was and I thought I stayed with it, even though it didn’t really pan out the way I wanted.”

With the White Sox leading 2-0 in the fifth and Gordon Beckham on first, Ramirez hit his second homer in two nights when his drive off a changeup from Darnell hit off the foul pole in left field. The White Sox led off the next inning with four straight hits — including a run-scoring double by Tyler Flowers and an RBI single by Alejandro De Aza — to chase Darnell.

“It’s not really how you picture it,” Darnell said of his first big-league start.

Beckham’s sacrifice fly to center off Ryan Pressly scored Flowers to made it 7-0. Daniel Webb pitched a scoreless ninth for Chicago.

The Twins are 2-7 since the All-Star break.

“It’s tough to play from behind,” said Chris Colabello, who went 0 for 4. “Especially you lose a couple in row, you get behind again and all of a sudden negative thoughts went through your mind and it’s tough to fight those sometimes.”

NOTES: White Sox OF Jose Abreu singled in the ninth to push his hitting streak to 16 games. He’s hit safely in 34 of his last 35 games overall. … Twins GM Terry Ryan said Gibson (back) should start Tuesday at Kansas City. … Ventura sounded optimistic that OF Avisail Garcia (shoulder) would play again this season, possibly by September. “It’s pretty amazing, just his recovery time and how he looks and how healthy he looks,” he said. Ventura also said RHP Matt Lindstrom is expected to throw a simulated game on Tuesday at Detroit. … Twins 1B Joe Mauer (strained oblique) took grounders during batting practice, but did not take any swings. Manager Ron Gardenhire also said RHP Ricky Nolasco (elbow) is expected to throw three or four bullpen sessions over the next week. … White Sox RHP Scott Carroll (4-6), who is 2-1 with a 2.70 ERA in his last three starts, makes his second career appearance against Minnesota when Chicago goes for the four-game sweep on Sunday. Minnesota sends Yohan Pino (1-3) to the mound to make his seventh start of the season.

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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