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Gillaspie grand slam helps White Sox beat Jays 7-5

By WTOP Staff

MATT CARLSON
Associated Press

CHICAGO (AP) — Conor Gillaspie leads the Chicago White Sox with a .311 batting average, and on Sunday the third baseman led them to a win with a rare burst of power.

Gillaspie hit his first grand slam and Jordan Danks added a two-run shot to cap a six-run first inning, and the White Sox held on to beat the Toronto Blue Jays 7-5.

Gillaspie connected for just his fifth homer and Danks hit his second off Toronto’s Drew Hutchison (8-11), who lost for the fifth time in seven decisions.

Danks nailed a 2-2 pitch off the 23-year-old Blue Jays right-hander, who pitched seven innings and limited the White Sox to one run after the first.

“It was just through the hands with two strikes and put it in play hard,” Gillaspie said. “You know sometimes you get them up in the air, sometimes you miss them.

“It was definitely a good jump-start to the game.”

Manager Robin Ventura wasn’t surprised by Gillaspie deep drive to right-center field.

“It’s not like you wouldn’t expect him to hit home runs, but he’s just a line drive hitter,” Ventura said. “When he hits it good, it’s going to go.”

Chicago right-hander Scott Carroll (5-7) went 5 2-3 innings and allowed five runs on eight hits and three walks.

Toronto’s Edwin Encarnacion hit a two-run homer, his 27th this season and first since returning from the disabled list on Friday. The Blue Jays have lost five of six and 11 of 15 to fall 7 ½ games behind Baltimore in the AL East and four behind Seattle in the AL wild card race.

Hutchison has given up six runs or more in four of his last seven starts.

“I had two outs, and I had two strikes,” Hutchison said of the Gillaspie’s at-bat. “I had a good chance to get through the inning with no runs and I gave up six, and put us in a big hole.”

Danks added a third RBI on a sac fly in the sixth. Jake Petricka earned his ninth save in 12 chances after loading the bases in the ninth.

“It wasn’t like we didn’t have any shots,” Toronto manager John Gibbons said. “We just couldn’t get that big hit.”

Encarnacion golfed his homer just into the left field bullpen in the fifth as Toronto cut it to 6-4. Pinch-hitter Dioner Navarro singled in a run in the sixth to make it 6-5.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Toronto: RHP Kyle Drabek, 7-7 with a 4.00 ERA in Triple-A Buffalo, rejoined the Blue Jays bullpen on Sunday. Drabek is 8-15 in stints over four previous seasons with Toronto, both as a starter and reliever. He last pitched for the Blue Jays on Sept. 25, 2013.

Veteran 1B Dan Johnson began a rehab assignment with Triple-A Buffalo on Saturday, going 0 for 3 with an RBI. He’s played 13 games with the Blues Jays this season and was put on the DL with a strained left hamstring.

TOP PRIZE

White Sox: LHP Carlos Rodon, the third overall pick in this year’s MLB draft and one of Chicago’s top prospects, is scheduled make his Triple-A debut with Charlotte on Tuesday.

UP NEXT

Blue Jays: LHP J.A. Happ (8-7, 4.20) faces Brewers RHP Mike Fiers (2-1, 1.29) at Milwaukee on Tuesday. Fiers had a career-high 14 strikeouts in his last start, his second since his recall from the minors.

White Sox: LHP Chris Sale (10-2, 2.01) will face Baltimore RHP Bud Norris (10-7, 3.75) in Chicago on Monday to start a three-game series. Following an off-day on Thursday, Baltimore has a three-game set against the Cubs at Wrigley Field

SETTING AVI-SAIL

Although the White Sox are out of contention, the return of speedy, 23-year-old Avisail Garcia will give them a boost. The 6-foot-4, 240-pound Venezuelan, acquired last season from Detroit as part of a three-way deal involving Boston, also has the power to fit in the middle of the lineup.

His next steps: Consistency and playing a full major league season, according to manager Robin Ventura. “There’s a lot of learning curve that he’ll have,” Ventura said. “I think it’s similar to what Jose’s (Abreu) gone through this season.”

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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