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Fuld’s 2-run single lifts Twins over White Sox 4-3

By WTOP Staff

ADAM CZECH
Associated Press

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A big hit from Sam Fuld and a quick recovery by Glen Perkins gave the Minnesota Twins a win that temporarily helped them forget about a season that’s slipping away.

Fuld hit a tiebreaking, two-run single off Javy Guerra in a three-run seventh inning, and the Twins defeated the Chicago White Sox 4-3 Sunday to avoid a four-game sweep.

“It’s easy to fold up and get down, but we stuck with it, fought and came up with a win,” Fuld said.

Danny Santana had two RBIs for the last-place Twins, who won for just the 11th time in their last 30 games.

Perkins loaded the bases in the ninth, and it looked like Minnesota’s 10-game homestand was going to end with yet another frustrating defeat.

But Perkins retired Gordon Beckham on a flyout for his 25th save in 28 chances. The Twins averted getting swept by the White Sox in a four-game series for the first time in franchise history.

“Winning one isn’t a great consolation prize, but it’s better than losing,” Perkins said. “Hopefully it’ll give us a little momentum. We came back, we battled back.”

Chicago led 2-1 in the seventh when Minnesota loaded the bases against Ronald Belisario (3-7) on walks to Josh Willingham and Eric Fryer around a single by Chris Parmelee.

Belisario threw two pitches to Willingham, and the right-hander then was told by plate umpire Jeff Kellogg to remove a bracelet from his glove hand.

“Yeah, I got mad because I always wear it like that. Whatever,” Belisario said.

Chicago manager Robin Ventura didn’t think the incident had anything to do with the Twins’ comeback.

“You just can’t put two guys on in that situation. You put yourself in a bind,” he said. “We gave them an opportunity there.”

Guerra relieved and retired Eduardo Escobar on a foulout, and Santana hit a tying sacrifice fly just deep enough to left-center field. Fuld followed with a line-drive single up the middle and was thrown out at second when he tried to advance.

Adrian Nieto homered in the Chicago eighth off Casey Fien. It was Nieto’s first homer in 76 career big league at-bats.

Jared Burton (2-2) pitched a scoreless inning in relief of Yohan Pino, who didn’t allow a hit until two outs in the fifth and wound up giving up two runs and four hits in six innings.

Chicago rookie Jose Abreu had two hits, extending his hitting streak to 17 games, and drove his 79th run, second in the major leagues behind Detroit’s Miguel Cabrera.

White Sox starter Scott Carroll allowed one run and four hits in six innings, leaving after just 78 pitches with a blister on his middle finger.

“I wasn’t able to fully finish pitches like I wanted to. We thought it was best to call it after six,” Carroll said.

Santana’s RBI triple in the third gave Minnesota its first lead of the series. Chicago went ahead in the sixth on Alexei Ramirez’s sacrifice fly and Abreu’s RBI double.

When Minnesota’s Oswaldo Arcia struck out ending the sixth, he snapped his bat over a knee, sending wood splinters flying around the batter’s box that were picked up by a batboy.

“I would rather have him break it swinging than over his knee,” Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said.

Gardenhire also hopes Sunday’s win helps his team forget about a 3-7 homestand that knocked the Twins further out of contention.

“A very disappointing homestand, but to get the win today was huge,” Gardenhire said. “A lot of smiles out there, a lot of relief. That was probably as intense a ninth inning as you’ll get.”

NOTES: Twins 1B Joe Mauer (oblique) is to take batting practice at Target Field this week. … Gardenhire wasn’t worried about a setup for Paul McCartney’s concert scheduled for Saturday getting in the way. “He’s going to hit it right through the drums,” Gardenhire joked. … Twins SP Kyle Gibson (back) is expected to start Tuesday against Kansas City. While Phil Hughes took a line drive off a knee on Thursday he doesn’t expect to miss a start. … Ricky Nolasco (elbow) threw a bullpen session for the Twins. … Jose Quintana (5-7, 3.15 ERA) is set to start for the White Sox on Tuesday against Detroit’s Anibal Sanchez (7-4, 3.45). … Gibson (8-8, 4.19) faces James Shields (9-5, 3.58) as the Twins open a three-game series at Kansas City on Tuesday.

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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