Skip to main content

Carter’s 36th HR powers Astros to 4-3 win over A’s

By WTOP Staff

RICK EYMER
Associated Press

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Chris Carter enjoys playing in Oakland. After all, he’s had a lot of success in the city where he began his major league career.

Carter hit his 36th homer and drove in three runs against his former team to help the Houston Astros beat the slumping Athletics 4-3 on Friday night.

“It’s nice to beat them, mainly because it’s good for our team,” Carter said. “It’s always exciting to play here. This is where I played my first game.”

Carter added an RBI single, Jon Singleton also homered and Jose Altuve had two hits for Houston, unbeaten in three games since firing manager Bo Porter on Monday. It was the Astros’ fifth straight win overall, two shy of their season high.

“I may get a heart attack soon, or lose my hair,” interim Houston manager Tom Lawless said. “But it is fun. It’s really fun. These kids have been great.”

The Astros have already been eliminated from the AL West race, but that won’t stop them from playing a part in the hunt for the playoffs. They beat the Los Angeles Angels two straight before arriving in Oakland.

The loss dropped Oakland six games behind the first-place Angels. Owners of the best record in the majors on Aug. 9, the A’s have gone 7-17 since.

The Astros have won seven of nine since a three-game skid Aug. 23-25.

Brett Oberholtzer (5-10) gave up seven hits but managed to strand eight runners and pitch his way out of a bases-loaded, none-out jam in the fourth.

“That was the point in the game where it would make or break us,” Oberholtzer said. “That was huge.”

Craig Gentry hit into a forceout before Josh Donaldson grounded into a 5-2-3 double play.

“It was a 1-0 curve to Donaldson,” Oberholtzer said. “At that point I needed to stay focused on one pitch at a time.”

Oberholtzer allowed three runs in 6 1-3 innings to end his two-game losing streak. The left-hander struck out one and walked two.

Jose Veras retired two batters and Tony Sipp pitched two scoreless innings for his third save.

Carter has routinely beaten up on A’s pitching since being dealt to the Astros as part of a multiplayer trade in 2013.

His home run was his seventh against Oakland this year and eighth overall. His 20 RBIs against the A’s are his most against any club this season.

“I’m just trying to hit the ball hard,” Carter said. “I’m taking the same approach every time.”

VISIONARY MAN

Oberholtzer said he had a premonition about Carter’s home run, which left the slugger one behind AL leader Nelson Cruz.

“I absolutely visualized seeing him hit that home run on that pitch,” Oberholtzer said. “I was the first one up when he hit it.”

Lawless suggested that Altuve had a hand in Carter’s drive.

“It helps having the little guy on first who doesn’t try to steal early in the count,” Lawless said. “That means Carter gets more fastballs.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Astros: Lawless said the team hopes to get OF George Springer back for the final six games of the season. Springer has missed 43 games due to a left quadriceps strain.

UP NEXT

Astros RHP Scott Feldman (8-10) is coming off his second career shutout, a three-hitter against Texas. He has beaten Oakland only once in five career starts.

Athletics LHP Scott Kazmir (14-7) had a 7.80 ERA over his six starts in August.

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
Read Next Story

Related News

Frustration grows in Venezuela as earthquake death toll reaches 1,430

Israel and Lebanon sign framework agreement with US in ‘first step’ toward peace, Rubio says

Trump-endorsed populist poised to become Colombia’s next president as rival challenges vote