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Bautista homers again, Jays rally past Yankees 4-3

By WTOP Staff

IAN HARRISON
Associated Press

TORONTO (AP) — The Blue Jays finished off a forgettable August with their biggest power display of the month.

Jose Bautista homered for the fifth straight game and Toronto erased a three-run deficit to beat the New York Yankees 4-3 on Sunday.

Edwin Encarnacion and Melky Cabrera also connected for the Blue Jays, who had their most home runs since hitting four in Houston on July 31.

“They win. It’s guaranteed runs,” manager John Gibbons said of the power surge. “We’ve kind of been missing that.”

Derek Jeter had a chance to tie it for the Yankees in the ninth inning. With the sellout crowd of 45,678 on its feet, Jeter popped up against closer Casey Janssen with a runner on third for the final out in his last regular-season at-bat in Toronto.

“I don’t think I have had much success against (Janssen),” Jeter said. “He was better than me this time.”

J.A. Happ won for the first time in seven starts as Toronto closed August with a 9-17 record. Munenori Kawasaki singled home the go-ahead run in the seventh to help the Blue Jays take two of three in a series between AL East teams trying to stay close in the playoff chase.

New York’s loss was its fourth in six games.

“It’s tough. We only have so many series left,” Jeter said.

Brett Gardner finished a single shy of the cycle, but couldn’t deliver on a big opportunity in the ninth, grounding out with a runner on second to bring up Jeter.

Gardner gave the Yankees a quick lead when he connected on Happ’s second pitch for his sixth career leadoff homer and fifth this year.

Francisco Cervelli hit an RBI single in the fourth and the Yankees made it 3-0 in the fifth when Gardner tripled and scored on an errant relay throw by shortstop Jose Reyes.

New York right-hander Brandon McCarthy allowed just two singles and a walk through the first five innings, but ran into trouble in the sixth. Cabrera ended a streak of nine straight outs with a homer to right and, four pitches later, Bautista went deep.

“Everything happened so fast,” Cervelli said.

Jose Cruz Jr. holds the Blue Jays record for consecutive games with a home run, connecting in six straight from Sept. 29 to Oct. 5, 2001.

Encarnacion tied it at 3 with a leadoff drive in the seventh, and McCarthy left after walking Dioner Navarro. Dellin Betances got two outs before pinch-runner Steve Tolleson stole second and scored on Kawasaki’s single, sliding in under Cervelli’s tag at home plate.

Happ (9-8) allowed three runs and nine hits in seven innings to win for the first time since July 22 against Boston.

“His breaking ball today was as good as we’ve seen it,” Gibbons said.

Brett Cecil worked the eighth and Janssen finished for his 20th save in 24 chances.

McCarthy (5-4) allowed four runs and five hits in six innings, losing for the fourth time in five starts.

Starting as the designated hitter, Jeter went 1 for 5 with a single in the first.

A GIFT FOR 2

Before the game, the Blue Jays honored Jeter with a video tribute and a $10,000 donation to his Turn 2 charity. Bautista and Mark Buehrle joined Jeter on the field to present him with a gift, a three-night luxury trip to Banff, Alberta, complete with a helicopter tour of the Rocky Mountains as well as Jeter’s choice of golf or ski lessons. “I will definitely use that one,” Jeter said.

WEIGHTY CONCERN

Pressed again on Masahiro Tanaka’s return to New York for further treatment on his sore right arm, Yankees manager Joe Girardi cited the superiority of the facilities at Yankee Stadium compared to those at 25-year-old Rogers Centre. “Has anyone seen the weight room?” Girardi asked a crowd of media in the visitor’s dugout before the game. “It’s about as big as this area we’re in right now, this little room.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Yankees: CF Jacoby Ellsbury (sore left ankle) was held out of the starting lineup but delivered a pinch-hit double in the ninth. He was replaced by pinch-runner Ichiro Suzuki. Ellsbury was scheduled to have an MRI on Sunday night when the team returned home to New York.

Blue Jays: RHP Brandon Morrow pitched a scoreless inning for Triple-A Buffalo on Saturday, his second rehab appearance. Morrow will work out of the bullpen when he rejoins the Blue Jays in September.

UP NEXT

Yankees: New York is off Monday before opening a three-game series against Boston on Tuesday night. RHP Shane Greene (4-1) will pitch for the Yankees, marking their 54th start from a rookie this season. The Red Sox had not announced a starter.

Blue Jays: Toronto is off Monday before opening a three-game series at Tampa Bay on Tuesday. RHP R.A. Dickey (10-12) will face Rays RHP Jeremy Hellickson (1-2). Dickey is 0-2 with a 6.55 ERA in two starts against the Rays 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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