Skip to main content

Duffy out 1 pitch into Royals’ 6-2 loss to Yanks

By WTOP Staff

JERRY BEACH
Associated Press

NEW YORK (AP) — In the midst of a breakout season, Danny Duffy made the wrong kind of Kansas City Royals’ history Saturday.

The left-hander cut short his start against the New York Yankees after just one pitch. He was diagnosed with a sore left shoulder, and the Royals said after the 6-2 loss that he will head to Kansas City on Sunday for an MRI.

“I go out in the ‘pen and took a little longer to loosen up today than it normally does,” Duffy said.

He thought it was just late-season stiffness.

“I sat for five minutes before I got back out to the mound, and it just tightened up for whatever reason,” he said. “It felt like I had a vice grip on my shoulder.”

After he threw a ball to Jacoby Ellsbury, Duffy walked around the mound in obvious discomfort as catcher Salvador Perez motioned to the dugout.

Manager Ned Yost came to the mound, and Duffy said he wanted to keep pitching. Yost immediately motioned for right-hander Liam Hendriks.

“He said I could try to throw some more,” Yost recalled. “I said, ‘No, no, if it is real tight.'”

Duffy became the first starting pitcher in the Royals’ 46-season history to leave a game without completing at least one batter. The last Royals starter to exit without recording an out had been Rick Reed on July 22, 1992.

Yost didn’t want to speculate on a timetable for Duffy’s return until the MRI results are known. Duffy was relieved his left elbow was fine — he had Tommy John surgery in 2012. The shoulder pain was more dull than sharp.

“I just have a good feeling about it,” he said. “I feel like if it was really, really messed up, it would feel really bad right now. Right now, it is just achy.”

Duffy is 8-11 and his 2.42 ERA is third in the AL behind Chicago’s Chris Sale (2.09) and Seattle’s Felix Hernandez (2.18), but at 141 1-3 innings he is short of the 162 needed to qualify for the ERA title.

“I do not think this is going to end my season,” Duffy said. “I am important to this team, and I am going to do everything I can to get back out there.”

Kansas City, which had won four in a row, remained two games ahead of Detroit in the AL Central. The Royals are in first place in September for the first time since 1985 — when they won the World Series in their last postseason trip.

Duffy was relieved by Liam Hendriks (1-1), who retired Ellsbury and Derek Jeter, then allowed Martin Prado’s double and Mark Teixeira’s RBI single. Hendricks lasted four innings, giving up four runs — three earned — and seven hits in a defeat that dropped his career big league record to 3-14 over four seasons.

Brandon Finnegan made his major league debut for the Royals in the sixth and pitched two perfect innings, becoming the first player from June’s amateur draft to appear in the major leagues. The left-hander from Texas Christian was the 17th pick overall and signed for a bonus of $2,200,600.

After Alex Gordon’s RBI bloop single against Brandon McCarthy (6-4) tied the score in the third, the Yankees went ahead for good in the bottom half on Ellsbury’s RBI triple and Jeter’s sacrifice fly.

Chase Headley make it 4-1 in the fourth when he scored from third after Perez overthrew third base for an error on a pickoff attempt. Carlos Beltran doubled in a run in the fifth and scored on a single by pinch-hitter Ichiro Suzuki.

Kansas City scored four runs or fewer for the eighth straight game — including a suspended game against Cleveland on Aug. 31 that will resume on Sept. 22. But the Royals are 4-3 in that span thanks to their pitching.

“They are grinding it out,” Yost said. “But in the last seven, eight days, we have won some ballgames. So that is all I am concerned about: Scoring enough runs to win ballgames.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Royals: RHP Greg Holland missed his second straight game due to a tight right triceps. “Hopefully a day or two or three recovery and be ready to go,” Yost said. … DH Josh Willingham returned Saturday after missing six games because of a sore back and went 1 for 4.

UP NEXT

Yankees RHP Shane Greene (4-2) opposes Royals RHP Yordano Ventura (11-9) in the series finale after a pregame ceremony on Derek Jeter Day.

SEEKING A SEASON SERIES WIN

Kansas City fell to 3-3 against the Yankees this season. The Royals have not won a season series from New York since 1999, when the Royals won five of nine meetings.

HENDRIKS PROVIDES RELIEF

Hendriks made his third major league relief appearance. The other two were back to back appearances for the Minnesota Twins in September 2013.

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