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Ausmus ejected, Tigers lose to Angels 4-0

By WTOP Staff

JOE RESNICK
Associated Press

ANAHEIM, Calif. (AP) — Detroit manager Brad Ausmus was ejected in the third inning Saturday night. He didn’t miss much offense from the Tigers.

Michigan native Matt Shoemaker combined with two relievers on a four-hitter, and the Los Angeles Angels beat the Tigers 4-0 to hand the AL Central leaders their fifth shutout this season.

Justin Verlander gave up Efren Navarro’s first major league home run, a leadoff shot in the second inning. Detroit’s only hits against Shoemaker were Ian Kinsler’s first-inning double and singles by Eugenio Suarez and Austin Jackson.

Navarro found the seats above the 18-foot wall in right-center on a 1-1 pitch from Verlander (9-9), who has given up at least one homer in 10 of his last 12 starts. Navarro also singled home the go-ahead run Friday night against Drew Smyly in a 2-1 victory after the Tigers’ lefty struck out eight of his first 10 batters and 11 overall.

Navarro’s homer came in his 79th big league at-bat. He drove in another run during the Angels’ two-run sixth as Albert Pujols scored on the rookie’s grounder to shortstop. C.J. Cron followed with a double that scored Howie Kendrick.

“For the most part I was executing OK,” Verlander said. “Early on I didn’t feel great, but then I kind of started to find my rhythm. The one pitch I regret was hanging a curveball (to Cron), and he was able to hit it down the line. If I had executed better, then it’s only a two-run lead and we’ve got a chance to come back. It’s a big difference between two runs and three.”

Verlander allowed three runs and six hits in seven innings with four strikeouts and a walk. The 2011 AL MVP and Cy Young Award winner was the latest in a series of All-Stars that Shoemaker (8-3) has more than held his own against this season — including Cliff Lee, David Price, James Shields, Chris Sale and Yu Darvish.

The rookie is 4-0 in those starts with a 2.27 ERA.

“It’s definitely a confidence builder. It’s a blessing and a lot of fun,” Shoemaker said. “But I try not to focus on who the opposing pitcher is — just the hitters that I’m facing.”

Ausmus was tossed after he came out to argue a call that was reversed on instant replay. First base umpire Jim Joyce originally called Suarez safe on a pickoff throw by Shoemaker, but a 3-minute video review convinced the crew in New York that Pujols tagged the diving Suarez before his hand touched the bag.

“The rules state that once the hitter’s in the box and the pitcher’s on the rubber, you cannot challenge the play. It’s pretty black and white. And that was the case,” Ausmus said. “The umpires have the right to initiate a review on their own, but they clearly didn’t. Mike Scioscia initiated the review by coming out of the dugout.

“I wasn’t technically arguing the challenge. I was arguing the fact that they couldn’t challenge the rule in the first place,” he added. “I was ejected immediately, but I don’t think I should have been. If I was arguing the call, that’s a different story.”

Ausmus explained that he had no grounds to play the game under protest. And he wasn’t about to contact Major League Baseball on Sunday for clarification — not with his former Dodgers manager, Joe Torre, in Cooperstown to be inducted into the Hall of Fame.

“I’d like clarification, but this isn’t the weekend to be texting Joe,” Ausmus said with a smirk.

Angels first-time All-Star Erick Aybar started in the cleanup spot for the first time in his nine-year career, going 2 for 3 with a sacrifice bunt. Left fielder Josh Hamilton sat out because of a sore left knee.

Aybar came in with 51 RBIs, the most among AL shortstops, and was 9 for 27 in his career against Verlander.

“He’s a good ballplayer,” Verlander said. “He’s tough to strike out and he puts the ball in play a lot. He can do the little things — move guys over and put a bunt down when he needs to.”

Nine-time Gold Glove winner Torii Hunter robbed Mike Trout of a hit in the first with a tumbling, shoestring catch in short right field. But Hunter’s fielding error in the eighth allowed Aybar to take an extra base on a single, and he scored on Kendrick’s double against Joakim Soria — making his Tigers debut following Wednesday night’s trade from Texas.

Shoemaker threw just 78 pitches through seven innings, allowing three hits and no walks while striking out five against a lineup that came in leading the AL in batting average, hits, on-base percentage and slugging percentage.

Kevin Jepsen pitched a perfect eighth and Jason Grilli got the last three outs, reducing Detroit’s lead in the AL Central over Kansas City to five games.

NOTES: Verlander, third on the Tigers’ career strikeout list behind Mickey Lolich and Jack Morris, has 28 double-digit strikeout games in his big league career — but none this year in 22 starts. This is the deepest he’s gone into a season without one since 2006, his first year as a full-time starter in the majors, when he made 30 starts and had no more than eight Ks in any of them.

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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