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James Shields pitches Royals past Yankees 1-0

By WTOP Staff

RONALD BLUM
AP Sports Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — James Shields knows what this September means to the Kansas City Royals, a team that hasn’t been to the playoffs since many of their players were born.

“Hopefully we can enjoy the moment and embrace it, have fun with it,” he said.

They sure will if he keeps pitching the way he did Friday night.

Shields took a two-hitter into the ninth inning and Nori Aoki lined a run-scoring single in the third following Chase Headley’s two-base error, leading the Royals over the New York Yankees 1-0.

“You could sense the energy out there, and it is a lot of fun to play in,” first baseman Eric Hosmer said. “Huge win for us. We have to take the first game of every series — that is the goal.”

Kansas City (78-61), which opened a two-game lead over second-place Detroit in the AL Central, is in first place in September for the first time since 1985 — when the Royals won the World Series in their last postseason trip. Kansas City has won four in a row and is 17 games over .500 for the first time since 1989, according to STATS.

Two starts after losing to the Yankees 8-1 in one of his worst outings this season, Shields (13-7) retired his first 11 batters before Brett Gardner’s double in the fourth. Headley singled in the fifth, and Gardner flied out to the right-field warning track in the sixth.

Shields retired 11 straight before Derek Jeter singled softly with one out in the ninth.

“I think that is by far the best game he has thrown all year,” Royals manager Ned Yost said. “He was surgical with his stuff. He had everything going, his curve, his changeup. He was spotting his fastball. He commanded the pitch count tremendously.”

With closer Greg Holland bothered by triceps tightness, Yost brought in Wade Davis. After pinch-runner Antoan Richardson stole second, Gardner struck out swinging on a 98 mph full-count pitch. Carlos Beltran then took a called third strike, giving Davis his first big league save.

“He was up to the challenge,” Yost said of Davis, who has fanned 92 batters in 62 1-3 innings this season.

New York rarely hit the ball hard against Shields, who induced 12 groundouts. He allowed three hits in 8 1-3 innings, struck out five, walked none and hit a batter with a pitch.

“He pitched way different than the Shields we faced in Kansas City,” Beltran said. “Today he was using a lot of cutters and the changeup away. So basically he kept us off balance all game long.”

New York began the night four games out for the second AL wild card and is in danger of missing the playoffs in consecutive years for the first time since 1992 and ’93.

Michael Pineda (3-4), who has not allowed more than two runs in any of his 10 big league starts this year, has received 18 runs of offensive support in his last 13 outings dating to August 2013.

He was hurt by the Yankees’ defense in the third, when Alcides Escobar hit a hard, one-out grounder that glanced off Headley’s glove at third and into left field. Escobar hustled into second and scored an unearned run two pitches later when Aoki singled to center.

Pineda was nearly as sharp as Shields, giving up three hits, all singles, in seven innings with no walks.

“To win in New York, 1-0, that is one of the best games of our season,” Escobar said.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Yankees: INF-OF Martin Prado, recovering from a left hamstring strain, was available to pinch hit but didn’t play. He could be back in the starting lineup Saturday.

UP NEXT

RHP Brandon McCarthy (5-4) is slated to start Saturday for the Yankees against LHP Danny Duffy (9-11).

NOT WATCHING

Yost doesn’t bother to watch the scoreboard and see how his team’s rivals are doing.

“Other people can do it. I don’t like to do it. I like to just stay focused on what we’re doing. I’ll look at the standings every couple of days,” he said. “I’m not up for staying up late and studying.”

After the Royals arrived in New York on Thursday evening, he had dinner and didn’t watch the Tigers-Indians game, won by Detroit 11-4 in 11 innings just before midnight.

“I was in bed way before that game ended,” Yost said.

BATTING PRACTICE CHATTER

A different type of batter was speaking with Jeter on the field before the game: retired Indian cricket captain Sachin Tendulkar. The batsman is nicknamed the “God of Cricket.”

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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