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Price, Tigers lose 5-4 to San Francisco Giants

By WTOP Staff

DETROIT (AP) — Miguel Cabrera and the Detroit Tigers tried to overcome David Price’s rough start. They fell just short.

Cabrera homered twice and Victor Martinez added a solo shot, but Price allowed four runs with two out in the first inning of a 5-4 loss to the San Francisco Giants on Saturday.

“When we’re facing another team that’s fighting for a playoff berth, and they’ve got Madison Bumgarner pitching, I can’t give up four in the first,” Price said. “That puts my team in a huge hole before they even get to bat.”

Detroit lost for the third time in four games but remained two back of AL Central-leading Kansas City, which lost 6-2 to New York Yankees.

The Giants strung together five consecutive hits after Price retired the first two batters. Pablo Sandoval singled in Buster Posey and scored on Andrew Susac’s two-run double to center. Joaquin Arias then doubled home Susac to make it 4-0.

“He got the first two guys easy, and he was making good pitches after that, but they just kept hitting them,” said Tigers catcher James McCann, who made his first major league start. “He’s a great pitcher, but they’ve got great hitters.”

Buster Posey had a solo homer among his three hits as San Francisco won for the eighth time in nine games against Detroit, including a sweep of the 2012 World Series. Bumgarner pitched six innings for his fourth consecutive win, giving him a career-high 17 on the year.

Price (13-11) settled down after the first, striking out 11 in 8 2-3 innings. But the left-hander, who was acquired from Tampa Bay in a July 31 trade, dropped to 1-3 with a 4.91 ERA in his last four starts.

Posey connected with one out in the fifth, hitting a drive to left for his 20th homer and a 5-3 lead.

“I only feel like I made one big mistake all day, and that was the double by their catcher — Susac, I think,” Price said. “Even Posey hit a good pitch. But I had the two outs in the first, and I need to be able to execute a pitch right there and get off the field. I didn’t do that, and I haven’t done it since I got here.”

Because of a long rain delay on Friday night, there were just 12 1/2 hours between the last pitch of the series opener and Price’s first pitch on Saturday. With the Giants leading 8-2 after eight innings Friday and the clock well past midnight, Tigers manager Brad Ausmus pulled his starters and sent them home to get an extra hour of sleep.

Detroit tried to rally after San Francisco’s fast start. Cabrera hit a two-run drive in the first, and Martinez’s career-best 30th homer in the third got the Tigers within one. Cabrera added a solo shot in the eighth, making it 5-4, but that was it for Detroit.

Bumgarner (17-9), who won Game 2 two years ago, allowed three runs and 10 hits. Santiago Casilla pitched the ninth for his 15th save.

Cabrera’s eighth-inning homer came against Sergio Romo, who struck the slugger out to end the 2012 World Series. Cabrera has two multihomer games this season, both coming this week.

“I don’t know if he’s feeling better or if he has just adjusted to his ankle problems,” Ausmus said. “It’s probably a little of both, but it is great to see.”

Martinez almost tied the game seconds after Cabrera’s second homer, but Gregor Blanco ran down his fly ball on the track.

“I thought it had a chance when I hit it,” Martinez said. “I just got it a little too far toward the end of the bat. I was waiting for him to leave something up, but he didn’t, and I couldn’t quite get that pitch.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Detroit: C Alex Avila did not show any concussion symptoms on Friday, but McCann made his first major league start with the Tigers facing a lefty. Avila struck out as a pinch hitter in the ninth in his first appearance since leaving an Aug. 2 game in Cleveland after taking a foul tip off the mask. Ausmus said he expects Avila to start on Sunday.

San Francisco: OF Michael Morse (strained oblique) remains on track to return when the Giants start a three-game series against Arizona on Tuesday. Morse had a cortisone shot Friday and is not expected to play against Detroit.

UP NEXT

Detroit will give LHP Kyle Lobstein (0-0) his third career start on Sunday night against Tim Hudson (9-9). Hudson, who hasn’t started against Detroit since 2004, is one of three active players to have pitched at Tiger Stadium, along with LaTroy Hawkins and Bartolo Colon.

FIRST TIME UP

McCann seemed a little stunned after his first start, especially after catching one of baseball’s best pitchers.

“It seems like it was just yesterday that I was playing college ball and watching him win games on TV,” McCann said. “I can’t even explain what it felt like to actually be catching him in a pennant race.”

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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