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With Ellsbury out, Yankees lose 2-0 to Blue Jays

By WTOP Staff

IAN HARRISON
Associated Press

TORONTO (AP) — With their hottest hitter hobbled by a bad ankle, the New York Yankees turned in an ice cold offensive performance Saturday.

Even worse for the Yankees, it could be a while before Jacoby Ellsbury is ready to return.

Drew Hutchison pitched seven sparkling innings, combining with Aaron Sanchez on a one-hitter, and Jose Bautista homered for the fourth straight game to lead the Toronto Blue Jays over the Yankees 2-0 on Saturday.

“We’ve scored some runs on this trip, we just weren’t able to today,” Yankees manager Joe Girardi said.

Ellsbury sat out with a sore left ankle, suffered when he slid into Blue Jays catcher Dioner Navarro in the ninth inning Friday. X-rays following the game were negative.

The star center fielder had hit .500 (11 for 22) with four homers and nine RBIs in the first five games of New York’s road trip.

“It’s obviously sore but I got a lot of treatment today, pretty much all game,” Ellsbury said of his ankle. “I’m still holding out for tomorrow.”

Girardi didn’t share Ellsbury’s optimism.

“I’d be really shocked if he played tomorrow,” Girardi said, adding that he’s worried about a lengthy absence. With rosters set to expand on Sept. 1, the Yankees won’t have to worry about putting Ellsbury on the disabled list.

Girardi refused to use Ellsbury’s injury as an excuse for the lack of offense.

“You can’t just rely on one guy,” Girardi said. “A lot of guys have to contribute.”

Mark Teixeira’s fourth-inning double was the only hit allowed by Hutchison (9-11), who walked two and struck out nine.

“It’s tough to get better than he was today,” Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said of Hutchison.

In four previous starts against New York this season, Hutchison had posted a 7.08 ERA, allowing 24 hits, including three homers, in 20 1-3 innings.

Yankees catcher Brian McCann said Hutchison’s location Saturday was vastly better than in those previous meetings.

“He put the ball wherever he wanted,” McCann said.

Sanchez retired all six batters he faced for his first major league save as the Blue Jays improved to 8-17 in August and, at 68-67, avoided falling below .500 for the first time since May 14, when they were 20-21.

Bautista hit a two-out, two-run homer off Michael Pineda (3-3) in the first. It’s the second time in his career Bautista has connected in four consecutive games. He also did it from Sept. 28 to Oct. 2, 2009.

Hutchison retired the first 11 batters before hitting Carlos Beltran with a pitch in the fourth. Teixeira doubled before McCann was also hit by a pitch to load the bases for Martin Prado, who flied out.

“Good swing by Prado,” Girardi said. “He just missed it.”

Pineda allowed two runs and a season-high seven hits in six innings to lose for the first time since April 23 at Boston. He walked none and struck out three.

CATCH OF THE DAY

Blue Jays OF Kevin Pillar, who made a sensational diving catch in center to retire McCann in the fourth inning Friday, opened up Saturday’s game with an almost identical play on Brett Gardner’s sinking liner.

CABRERA COMES THROUGH

Batting third for just the 10th time this season, former Yankee Melky Cabrera snapped an 0 for 13 slump with a single in the sixth. Cabrera came in having failed to record a hit in back-to-back games for just the third time this season. HE also went hitless June 14 and 15, and June 28 and 29.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Yankees: RH Masahiro Tanaka returned to New York Saturday and was scheduled to work out and play catch at Yankee Stadium. “He?ll play catch for the next five or six days,” Girardi said. “Our hope is to get him on a mound Thursday.”

Blue Jays: RH Brandon Morrow’s rehab appearance at Triple-A Buffalo Saturday night will make him the 73rd player used by the Bisons this season, two shy of the International League record set by Norfolk in 2012.

UP NEXT

Yankees RHP Brandon McCarthy (5-3) faces Blue Jays LH J.A. Happ (8-8) in Sunday’s series finale. McCarthy has a 1.88 ERA in seven daytime starts this season, compared to a 5.03 ERA in 20 night starts. Happ is 0-3 with a 4.04 ERA in his past six starts.

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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