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Yankees infield slips up in 6-4 loss to Blue Jays

By WTOP Staff

RONALD BLUM
AP Sports Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — The shortest of hits cost the New York Yankees big.

Brian McCann failed to get any outs on Dioner Navarro’s routine grounder to first with two men on.

Second baseman Brian Roberts couldn’t come up with Dan Johnson’s 70-foot bloop that landed on the infield grass and drove in the go-ahead run.

Johnson added a three-run homer in the ninth, and the Toronto Blue Jays ended their 17-game losing streak at Yankee Stadium with a 6-4 victory over New York on Saturday.

“Bounces don’t always go your way,” Roberts said.

McCann’s two-run homer off Drew Hutchison (7-9) put the Yankees ahead in the fourth. Chris Capuano, making his Yankees debut, allowed the Blue Jays to tie the score in the fifth on Melky Cabrera’s RBI double and Steve Tolleson’s sacrifice fly.

Toronto went ahead in the seventh after Shawn Kelley (1-3) walked Cabrera leading off, and Jose Bautista doubled him to third.

Navarro, who had three hits, followed with a grounder to McCann, an All-Star catcher playing first base this week because of Mark Teixeira’s strained back. McCann, whose 12 major league appearances at first have all been this season, took a step in, checked the runners, but allowed Navarro to get by him and reach on a fielder’s choice that loaded the bases.

“Instead of touching the bag and then making the play, I kind of just started charging,” McCann said. “First time I’ve seen it from that angle. I wish I could slowed the game down a little bit, but the game sped up on me.”

Kelley struck out Tolleson, and Johnson was jammed by left-hander Matt Thornton as the ball blooped to the right side. Roberts reacted slowly, and the ball landed on the grass in front of him, with McCann and Thornton not far away. All runners were safe, and Toronto led 3-2.

“Maybe it’s a play I’m supposed to make, but it didn’t happen,” Roberts said. “One guy does everything right and one guy does everything kind of wrong, and the result goes in favor of the one that does everything wrong.”

At first, Johnson thought the ball might be caught or even called an infield fly.

“When you lose 17 in a row, you deserve something like that,” Toronto manager John Gibbons said.

Being a left-hander, Thornton fell off to the third-base side of the mound.

“If I would have broke immediately, I probably would have been right in the mix of it, too,” he said. “And who knows? I might have run into Brian or Brian, and we would have all been laying in there and three runs scored.”

Johnson’s ninth-inning drive off Jeff Francis, which extended the lead to 6-2, was his first homer since hitting three for the Chicago White Sox at Cleveland on Oct. 3, 2012.

Aaron Loup walked a pair of batters with two outs in the eighth before throwing a called third strike past Brett Gardner on a 3-2 pitch. Casey Janssen allowed Carlos Beltran’s two-run homer in the ninth.

Toronto, which had not won at Yankee Stadium since Aug. 29, 2012, sent New York to just its second loss in eight games since the All-Star break.

“You don’t expect to beat a team that many times, but they got the best of us today,” Yankees manager Joe Girardi said.

Acquired from Colorado on Thursday, Capuano became the Yankees’ 11th starting pitcher and 47th player this season, nine short of the team record set last year. There still was no nameplate above his locker Saturday morning, but one was in place by the end of the game.

A reliever with Boston earlier this season, he allowed two runs, five hits and four walks in six innings. He stranded the bases loaded in 25-pitch first when he retired Johnson on an inning-ending flyout.

“I had a little nerves going in the beginning. Certainly wasn’t happy with the four walks but, you know, made some good pitches today when I had to,” Capuano said. “Was just thrilled to be out there.”

NOTES: Capuano became the first player to appear for the Yankees and the Red Sox in the same season since Darnell McDonald and Justin Thomas in 2012, according to STATS. … Girardi said Teixeira, out since last weekend, may hit off a tee or soft toss Sunday. … Both teams were warned in the first inning by plate umpire Alan Porter after Capuano hit Bautista in the ribs and Hutchison hit Beltran above the elbow. … Yankees CF Jacoby Ellsbury saved a run in the fourth when with a man on he sprinted to the gap in left-center, extended his glove and caught Colby Rasmus’ drive while falling. … The Yankees have started a rookie pitcher a 47 times this season. Entering Saturday, no other team had more than 30.

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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