Skip to main content

Rangers lose eighth straight, 4-2 to Mariners

By WTOP Staff

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Tim Bogar received a suggestion from his predecessor just one game into his stint as interim manager of the Texas Rangers. However, Ron Washington’s tip didn’t focus on strategy.

“He told me smile more and enjoy it,” Bogar said of Washington, who abruptly announced his resignation Friday afternoon following almost eight full seasons. “I said, ‘Yesterday was a little tough. Today, I’ll smile.’ “

He didn’t have much to smile about as Kyle Seager had three hits, including a home run, to lead the Seattle Mariners to a 4-2 victory over the Rangers on Saturday night in a game that began after a rain delay of 3 hours, 13 minutes.

It was Texas’ eighth straight loss and dropped Bogar to 0-2.

The Rangers were 0 for 10 with runners in scoring position, including 0 for 9 in the first three innings.

“Early in the game we had an opportunity to put some runs up on the board, and we just didn’t get it done,” Bogar said.

He earlier said he had spoken with Washington multiple times since the announcement and that his boss’ message included, “This isn’t a bad thing. This is a good thing.”

In a statement released by the team on Friday, Washington said he resigned to address an off-the-field, personal matter. Later Friday, he told some reporters individually that he’ll be back in baseball, that he needs time away from the game now.

Rangers general manager Jon Daniels said Friday that Washington’s resignation wasn’t drug related. In 2010, Washington admitted to testing positive for cocaine the previous year.

Bogar, 47, was hired this year as the Rangers’ bench coach, his third major league coaching stop along with five years as a minor league manager. He said he’ll manage the rest of this season as if he’ll be Texas’ manager next year and beyond.

“That’s the way I have to approach it,” Bogar said. “I want to stay here and be part of turning this things around.”

The Rangers own the major leagues’ worst record after going to the World Series in 2010 and ’11, and reaching the 2012 postseason as an AL wild card. They forced a wild-card tiebreaker last year before losing to Tampa Bay.

Texas starter Nick Martinez was untouched until allowing Seagar’s tying, two-run homer in the sixth inning. Martinez, loser of 10 of 13 decisions this season, hasn’t gone more than six innings since June.

Seagar also singled and scored in the Mariners’ two-run eighth against Neal Cotts (2-9). Seager is hitting .362 with five home runs and 16 RBIs in 69 at-bats against the Rangers this season.

“He’s pretty special,” Seattle manager Lloyd McClendon said. “It’s a nice feeling having him at the plate.”

Danny Farquhar (2-1) worked two scoreless innings to earn the victory, and Fernando Rodney got the last three outs for his American League-leading 43rd save.

The Mariners increased their lead for the American League’s second wild card to 1 1/2 games.

DARVISH DONE: Rangers ace RHP Yu Darvish won’t pitch again this season. General manager Jon Daniels said there’s no sense in bringing back Darvish, sidelined since Aug. 9 with inflammation near his pitching elbow, to make one or two starts for a team already eliminated from postseason contention. Darvish (10-7) said through an interpreter that he’s disappointed that he couldn’t pitch the full season but accepted the decision of the club’s medical staff.

ONE GAME SHORT: Texas is on pace for its first 100-loss season since 1973. The 1985 Rangers finished 62-99 with a game cancelled as a casualty of the two-day players strike in early August.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Rangers: Texas plans to send INF Jurickson Profar, sidelined since March with a muscle tear in his right shoulder, to the Arizona Fall League.

Mariners: LF Dustin Ackley left the game in the seventh inning with a jammed left ankle and is day-to-day.

UP NEXT

Rangers LHP Derek Holland (0-0) will make his first home start of the season Sunday and his second overall following knee surgery in January. Holland will face Mariners LHP James Paxton (5-1), who has the second-best career ERA through his first 12 starts (1.77).

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