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Santana leads Twins to 16-3 victory over White Sox

By WTOP Staff

JOHN JACKSON
Associated Press

CHICAGO (AP) — The Minnesota Twins just kept scoring, and rookie Danny Santana played a key role in their biggest offensive game of the year.

Santana had five hits and four RBIs, and the Twins set season highs for runs and hits in a rain-delayed 16-3 victory over the Chicago White Sox on Sunday.

“It was a lot of fun,” Santana said.

Santana had two hits and two RBIs in Minnesota’s nine-run eighth inning, when it sent 14 batters to the plate and had nine hits against three relievers. The five hits set a season high for the center fielder, who was one off his best for RBIs set June 7 against Houston.

“He had a good day; with five hits, that’s kind of an understatement,” Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. “He’s a nice looking player. Playing center field, he’s a shortstop. He’s fun.”

It just got worse for Chicago in the ninth, when Chris Parmelee, Oswaldo Arcia and Eric Fryer hit consecutive homers off White Sox reliever Andre Rienzo. It was the first time the Twins had three consecutive homers since July 12, 2001, at Milwaukee.

Dayan Viciedo hit a two-run homer for Chicago, which was hurt by poor bullpen work. Javy Guerra (1-3), Taylor Thompson, Ronald Belisario, Eric Surkamp and Rienzo allowed a total of 15 runs and 18 hits over the final four innings.

Thompson was sent down to Triple-A Charlotte after the game.

“It seemed OK until the sixth, and after that it just got loose and you couldn’t stop it,” White Sox manager Robin Ventura said.

Belisario, who served as Chicago’s closer for a short stretch this season, faced four batters in the eighth and failed to record an out. He was charged with four runs, increasing his ERA to an unseemly 6.23.

“I don’t know what to say,” Belisario said. “They got us. I have nothing to say.”

Kyle Gibson (10-8) was the beneficiary of Minnesota’s big day at the plate. The 6-foot-6 right-hander allowed three runs and six hits in seven innings while improving to 3-1 with a 3.08 ERA in his last four starts.

Chicago starter Jose Quintana struggled through three errors and two rain delays (for a total of 45 minutes) in the first two innings. He managed to get through five innings on 116 pitches, leaving with a 3-1 lead thanks to a three-run fourth for the White Sox.

Alexei Ramirez hit an RBI double and scored on Viciedo’s 13th homer.

Minnesota responded with three runs in the sixth. Eduardo Nunez had a run-scoring single before Santana’s two-run double lifted the Twins to a 4-3 lead. Santana added an RBI triple and run-scoring infield hit in the eighth.

The Twins finished with 23 hits.

“Goodness gracious, up to the eighth inning it was a 4-3 ballgame then the ball starting flying all over the place,” Gardenhire said.

SCHAFER CLAIMED

The Twins announced during the game that they had claimed outfielder Jordan Schafer off waivers from Atlanta. Schafer, who was selected by Atlanta in the third round of the 2005 draft, was designed for assignment after the Braves acquired utilityman Emilio Bonifacio and left-hander James Russell in a trade with the Cubs on Thursday.

Gardenhire said left-hander Logan Darnell will be optioned to the minor leagues to make room for Schafer.

GARCIA INJURED

White Sox outfielder Avisail Garcia, currently on a rehab assignment with Triple-A Charlotte, was hit by a pitch and removed from the Knights’ game on Sunday. He was diagnosed with a bruised left triceps and is day to day. He had left shoulder surgery in April.

ON DECK

The Twins open a two-game home series against San Diego on Tuesday, with Padres right-hander Jesse Hahn (7-2, 2.01 ERA) going against right-hander Phil Hughes (10-8, 4.12 ERA) in the opener.

The White Sox continue their six-game homestand with the opener of a three-game set with Texas on Monday, with Rangers right-hander Nick Martinez (1-7, 5.08 ERA) facing Hector Noesi (5-8, 5.21 ERA).

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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