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Balfour loses to old Oakland team as Rays lose 3-2

By WTOP Staff

JANIE McCAULEY
AP Baseball Writer

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Grant Balfour knows all about Oakland’s flair for the dramatic in extra innings or close games. He was part of it only a year ago.

On Monday night, Tampa Bay’s closer took a beating from his old pals, surrendering a game-ending single to Derek Norris in the 10th inning of a 3-2 loss to the Athletics.

“I just got beat by a good team tonight, plain and simple,” Balfour said. “It’s tough when you have to get five outs.”

Derek Norris singled up the middle with two outs and the bases loaded in the 10th inning.

Rays manager Joe Maddon was ejected earlier in the inning by first base umpire Quinn Wolcott on a non-strike call during Josh Donaldson’s walk. Maddon rushed the field to argue once more.

“An absolutely blown call. It was not borderline, it was egregious,” Maddon said. “My patience ran out, the call was inappropriate.”

Tampa Bay had its eight-game road winning streak snapped, which matched the longest in club history, to kick off a 10-game trip. The Rays lost away from Tropicana Field for the first time since July 3 at Detroit and dropped to 23-10 overall since June 25.

Norris notched his second career game-ending RBI while facing Balfour (1-4) in Oakland’s eighth walkoff win. The AL West-leading A’s remained one game ahead of the Los Angeles Angels and avoided losing consecutive home games for just the second time this season.

The A’s loaded the bases against Balfour, who received a mound visit before Brandon Moss stepped in with a chance at a fourth grand slam but struck out. Norris delivered with his first game-ending RBI since June 24, 2012, against the Giants.

Ryan Cook (1-1) earned the win on a night the A’s stranded a season-high 18 runners.

The A’s won their 11th extra-inning game, second-most in the majors behind Baltimore.

In the ninth, reliever Sean Doolittle fielded Brandon Guyer’s bouncing safety squeeze bunt and tossed about 10 feet to catcher Norris to tag out James Loney and save the go-ahead run. Doolittle then struck out Kevin Kiermaier.

“We didn’t execute offensively, whether it was a bunt or advancing a runner,” Maddon said. “We’re as good as they are and I’m not backing down from that. I don’t care what the records are.”

Until Norris came through, Oakland had missed key chances with runners in scoring position. The A’s loaded the bases with two outs in the seventh against Joel Peralta.

Evan Longoria homered and Kiermaier hit a two-out triple to set up Desmond Jennings’ fifth-inning RBI single against Jeff Samardzija.

With six ex-Rays on Oakland’s roster, Maddon has taken to calling them the “Ra-A’s.”

FURRY FRIEND

An opossum wandered into left field to watch during extra innings, right before John Jaso stepped in. He’s no stranger to little creatures, having batted with a squirrel in the infield and a pigeon near the plate this year, too.

Samardzija says it’s about time to make it the mascot.

“He’s been out here before,” the pitcher said. “We’re going to have to give him a name, get him a jersey. We’ve got to keep feeding him.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Rays: Outfielder Wil Myers, on the 60-day disabled list recovering from a broken right wrist, went through an extensive workout and drills in Port Charlotte, Florida. He will likely do a similar session Tuesday and Maddon said the Rays could decide by the end of the week when to begin his rehab assignment.

Athletics: Center fielder Coco Crisp took batting practice and came off the bench as a pinch-hitter in the seventh after missing seven games with a strained neck. He will be back in the starting lineup Tuesday. … Right-hander Jarrod Parker played catch out to 45 feet for his first throwing session since Tommy John surgery in the spring.

ON DECK

Rays: Drew Smyly (6-9, 3.93 ERA) makes his Tampa Bay debut after being traded from Detroit for David Price last Thursday. “I don’t look at it as I’m replacing David,” he said. “You’re not going to replace David Price.”

Athletics: Right-hander Jason Hammel (0-4) tries again for his first victory in five starts since being traded from the Chicago Cubs on July 4. He is one of three pitchers in Oakland history to lose each of their first four starts. AL Pitcher of the Month Sonny Gray goes in Wednesday’s finale.

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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