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Blue Jays squander 3 leads, lose to Red Sox 9-8

By WTOP Staff

HOWARD ULMAN
AP Sports Writer

BOSTON (AP) — The Toronto Blue Jays lost three leads and the game. Their biggest loss was Melky Cabrera.

Toronto will be without its left fielder for the rest of the season after he broke his right pinkie during a 9-8 loss to the Boston Red Sox in 10 innings Friday night. The team said Cabrera will have surgery next week.

“Sometimes that’s how life is,” Cabrera said. “I wanted to finish strong and help the team get to the playoffs.”

He appeared to hurt the finger when he dove back to first base in the third inning in a failed attempt to avoid being picked off. Cabrera stood up and shook his right hand.

“I thought it might be broke, but I wanted to stay in the game,” he said. “When I took a swing the next at-bat, the pain was too much and I had to come out.”

Anthony Gose pinch-hit for him and Cabrera had X-rays. Now his season is done, with a .301 batting average, 19 homers and 73 RBIs.

“I have great teammates and a good club. This is the club that gave me the opportunity when I got in trouble,” said Cabrera, suspended 50 games with the San Francisco Giants in August 2012 after testing positive for testosterone. “I want to stay.”

Boston erased deficits of 2-0, 6-3 and 8-6.

Yoenis Cespedes had four hits, including a game-winning single that capped a three-run 10th inning.

“He’s proven to us time and time again in RBI situations, he’s got a knack for it,” Boston manager John Farrell said.

Since coming over from Oakland at the July 31 trade deadline for ace lefty Jon Lester, Cespedes has 26 RBIs in 32 games and a .421 batting average with runners in scoring position. And with the bases loaded, he’s 6 for 9 with 12 RBIs for the Red Sox.

“Kind of like (David) Ortiz,” Boston shortstop Xander Bogaerts said. “I don’t know if they share tips with each other, but when he sees guys on base he just drives them in.”

Toronto took an 8-6 lead in the top of the 10th. The first run scored on Dioner Navarro’s infield single that followed a single by Edwin Encarnacion and a double by John Mayberry Jr.

Danny Valencia then hit a deep fly to right fielder Allen Craig, who caught what he thought was the third out. By the time he realized it wasn’t, Mayberry was on his way to scoring all the way from second on Valencia’s unusual sacrifice fly.

“You score those two runs in the top of the 10th there, so you’re feeling really good and then bam, bam, bam, bam,” Toronto manager John Gibbons said. “Nine times out of 10 we win that game.”

In the bottom of the inning, Boston loaded the bases with none out against Casey Janssen (3-3) on singles by Mookie Betts and Bogaerts, and a bunt single by Christian Vazquez.

Will Middlebrooks singled in Betts, and Boston tied it on Dustin Pedroia’s sacrifice fly. Ortiz hit a soft grounder to second baseman Steve Tolleson, but his toss to second hit Middlebrooks for an error that left the bases loaded.

Cespedes then connected and Jemile Weeks, who ran for Vazquez, scored easily as teammates raced from the dugout and sprayed what appeared to be water on a smiling Cespedes.

“I felt great,” Janssen said. “I truly believed I was going to get out of it.”

Tommy Layne (2-1) got the win.

Boston’s first three-run comeback tied it 6-all in the eighth after Jose Bautista and Encarnacion each reached the 30-homer mark with a two-run shot. Bautista’s made it 4-3 in the sixth and Encarnacion’s gave Toronto a 6-3 lead in the eighth.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Blue Jays: With Cabrera out for the season, Toronto likely will use Gose or Colby Rasmus in his outfield spot.

Red Sox: Pedroia returned to his usual No. 2 spot in the lineup after missing five games with a concussion. 3B Brock Holt was replaced in the top of the 10th by Middlebrooks after feeling dizzy.

UP NEXT

J.A. Happ (9-8) pitches for the Blue Jays against RHP Clay Buchholz (6-8) in the second game of the three-game series Saturday night. They faced each other in Toronto on Aug. 25, when Buchholz went 8 1-3 innings and Boston won 4-3 in 10 after allowing the Blue Jays to tie with three runs in the ninth.

LOSING LEADS

Toronto led 2-0 on Adam Lind’s two-run single in the first and then fell behind 3-2 as Boston scored a run in each of the first three innings. Then came Boston’s two three-run rallies late in the game. “We didn’t give up,” Bogaerts said.

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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