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Petricka gives up HR in 10th again for White Sox

By WTOP Staff

MATT CARLSON
Associated Press

CHICAGO (AP) — The White Sox and reliever Jake Petricka were beaten in the 10th inning for the second straight game.

Zach Walters hit a two-run home run in the 10th, lifting the Cleveland Indians to an 8-6 victory over the sliding White Sox on Tuesday night, handing Chicago its season-high seventh straight loss.

Pinch-hitter Lonnie Chisenhall doubled to lead off the inning against Petricka (0-4), and after failing to sacrifice Chisenhall to third, Walters hit a 3-2 pitch well into the right-field bleachers to give the Indians the lead.

Petricka has given up only three homers all season, but has served up game-winners in the 10th in consecutive games. Yankees pinch-hitter Brian McCann lined three-run walk-off shot with two outs in the 10th Sunday to give New York a 7-4 victory.

“I think it’s location,” White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. “He has everything velocity-wise and the stuff, but he’s been a bit erratic.”

The White Sox bullpen has struggled all season, but Petricka was showing signs of rounding into form. The 6-foot-5 right-hander leads Chicago with nine saves.

“When he was going, he was pounding the zone, getting ahead early, being able to use his off-speed stuff,” Ventura said. “The guys at this level, when you’ve got to lay it in there and throw a fastball, it doesn’t matter how hard you throw.”

Bryan Shaw (5-3) pitched 2 1-3 scoreless innings in relief for the win, keeping Cleveland 5 1/2 games behind Kansas City in the AL Central.

The Indians’ usually sturdy rotation had an off night. Cleveland’s starters entered the night with a 2.57 ERA since Aug. 1, but got only 4 2-3 innings from T.J. House, who squandered a 3-0 first-inning lead and gave up five runs, including Alexei Ramirez’s fifth-inning home run.

Despite that, Cleveland won its third straight, moved to a season-high four games above .500 and kept pace in the tightly bunched hunt for an AL wild-card spot.

“We know exactly where we are and we know that we have to turn it on at this moment in time if we expect to catch anyone — whether it’s the wild card or the division,” House said.

Chicago didn’t get much from starter Jose Quintana, who went five innings and allowing six earned runs to match a season-high. His ERA also rose from 3.25 to 3.48 as he got his 11th no-decision of the year and major league-leading 38th since the start of the 2012 season.

“I felt a little upset with myself because I got pretty good support tonight,” Quintana said.

TRAINER’S ROOM

White Sox: OF Moises Sierra (strained left oblique) went 1 for 4 in his second game of a rehab assignment at Triple-A Charlotte.

Indians: C Yan Gomes (seven-day concussion disabled list) worked out with the team Tuesday and manager Terry Francona expects him to be ready Friday when he’s eligible to return.

UP NEXT

Indians RHP Corey Kluber (13-7, 2.46 ERA) starts Wednesday against Chicago’s Hector Noesi (7-8, 4.39 ERA). Kluber is 3-1 with a 3.51 ERA in eight games against the White Sox, including his May 4 start against Chicago when he struck out a career-high 13 and set a Cleveland record by fanning seven straight.

BUSY SCHEDULE

Starting Tuesday, the Indians play 30 games in 30 days. Francona isn’t worried about the impact of the schedule and is welcoming the rush of games. “Days off are great,” he said, “but we need to play.”

SLOW DOWN

White Sox general manager Rick Hahn said top prospect Carlos Rodon’s next start will be Saturday at Triple-A Charlotte, not Saturday in Chicago when they face the Tigers in a doubleheader. Rodon, 21, was the third overall pick and is the first player drafted this year to reach Triple-A.

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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