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Carter’s HR in 8th leads Astros over A’s 4-2

By WTOP Staff

JORDAN GODWIN
Associated Press

HOUSTON (AP) — Oakland Athletics outfielder Jonny Gomes robbed Chris Carter of an extra-base hit that likely would have given the Houston Astros an early lead on Tuesday night.

After that dazzling defensive play in the fourth inning, however, Carter would have his revenge with a shot that Gomes couldn’t touch.

Carter turned a pitch that missed its location into his 32nd homer, a three-run drive in the eighth inning that gave the Astros a 4-2 win.

Gomes’ biggest regret was that the A’s let the Astros stay within striking distance.

“You want to get some insurance to where a homer won’t decide it,” Gomes said. “Those guys, one through nine, are swinging for the fences. There’s no secret about that. And that’s what got us, two homers.”

Oakland starter Jason Hammel had retired 10 straight batters when he was replaced by Luke Gregerson (3-3) for the eighth inning. Robbie Grossman reached on an error by first baseman Stephen Vogt with one out and Gregerson hit Jose Altuve with a pitch.

Carter then launched a 90 mph fastball onto the tracks atop the wall in left field to put Houston on top. Carter homered for the second straight game and leads the majors with 19 since the start of July.

“I was trying to go sinker, down and away,” Gregerson said. “It started away, but it just ran all the way across the plate, down and in.”

Carter nearly made Hammel pay in the fourth inning before Gomes bailed him out with a diving catch near the left-field warning track to leave two runners stranded for Houston.

“He got all of it, but thank goodness Jonny will go all out to get the ball,” Hammel said. “He’ll run through a brick wall if he has to. As long as we can keep the ball in the yard and give our guys a chance to field it, it’s a way to win ball games.”

Hammel had his best start since joining the Athletics in a trade from the Cubs. He allowed three hits and one run while working on extra rest — the A’s skipped his last turn because they had two off-days last week.

Josh Fields (4-6) pitched a scoreless eighth for the win and Chad Qualls did the same in the ninth for his 15th save.

The A’s began the day tied with the Angels for the AL West lead.

Dexter Fowler hit a solo homer for Houston to cut the lead to one in the fourth inning.

Dallas Keuchel allowed five hits and two runs in seven innings to remain winless since July 30, a span of five starts.

In addition to his defensive effort, Gomes gave the Athletics a 1-0 lead with an RBI single with two outs in the first. He later singled in the Oakland fourth and scored on a double by Nate Freiman to push the lead to 2-0.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Athletics: Manager Bob Melvin said SS Jed Lowrie (broken right index finger) and INF Nick Punto (hamstring) are both getting better and could be ready for rehabilitation assignments in the next few days. Lowrie was scheduled to play catch on Tuesday and Melvin said they’ll see how “fast they can move with him” depending on how that goes. Melvin said Punto isn’t able to run at full speed yet, but has been doing everything else.

UP NEXT

Oakland left-hander Drew Pomeranz will be recalled from Triple-A Sacramento to make his first major league start since June 16. He has struggled in his career against the Astros, going 0-1 with a 13.50 ERA in two appearances against Houston. Brad Peacock will start Wednesday against the A’s, making his fourth start since being recalled from Triple-A on Aug. 6.

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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