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Royals’ win streak ended at 5 by Santana, Indians

By WTOP Staff

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Royals have six games remaining with Cleveland. Maybe they will figure out how to get out Carlos Santana before they meet again in late August.

Santana hit two more home runs, giving him six in six games, and the Indians beat Kansas City 10-3 Sunday to end the Royals’ winning streak at five.

Santana became the first opposing player to hit five home runs in a series against the Royals in franchise history.

How do the Royals get him out?

“That’s a good question,” manager Ned Yost said. “You try not to give him anything too good to hit. He hit a couple of home runs off (Yordano) Ventura (on Friday) on good fastballs. He’s just hot right now.”

“He’s hot as a firecracker. He’s hitting home runs right-handed. He’s hitting home runs left-handed.”

Santana hit a pair of two-run homers from each side of the plate as the Indians finished up the four-game series. He has connected in three straight games.

Santana went 3 for 3 and reached base in all five plate appearances. He homered in a four-run fifth inning and hit another drive in the ninth for his fifth career multihomer game and his second of the series.

In his past six games, Santana is 14 for 23, including three doubles and 10 RBIs. Santana hit a tepid .151 with three home runs in 27 April games and .169 with three home runs in 23 May games.

“The way he started the season, he was scuffling a little bit and really turned it around,” Royals left fielder Alex Gordon said. “I think everyone knew what kind of hitter he was. It was just a matter of time before he got it going. Obviously, five home runs in a series here is pretty impressive.”

Ryan Raburn and Yan Gomes also homered for the Indians, who had lost six straight at Kauffman Stadium. Cleveland had dropped four in a row overall.

Danny Salazar (3-4) gave up three runs and seven hits over seven innings. He walked none and struck out seven.

Bruce Chen (2-3) allowed up six runs and eight hits in five-plus innings.

Nick Swisher hit an RBI single in the Indians seventh to end an 0-for-21 streak.

Billy Butler had three hits for the Royals, including an RBI double. He had homered in his previous two games.

Santana is the first player to hit five home runs in a series since Hunter Pence for San Francisco against the Dodgers on Sept. 12-15, 2013.

Santana tied an Indians record for most home runs in a series. The others were Hal Trosky (1934), Joe Carter (1989), Albert Belle (1995), Matt Williams (1997), and Travis Hafner (2004). Hafner did it in two-game series against the Angels.

NOTES: Royals RHP Wade Davis has not allowed an extra-base hit this season in 44 2-3 innings. … Chen picked 3B Mike Aviles off first to end the third inning. It was Chen’s 45th career pickoff, which ranks fourth among active pitchers. … Royals RF Nori Aoki is 9 for 24 over his past six games. … Royals CF Jarrod Dyson snapped an 0-for-12 skid with an RBI single with two out in the second inning. Seven of his 14 RBIs have been with two out.

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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