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Karns’ 1st big league win leads Rays over Jays 1-0

By WTOP Staff

IAN HARRISON
Associated Press

TORONTO (AP) — With some solid pitch calling, and a shot of power, Rays catcher Ryan Hanigan earned himself a dinner date with pitcher Nathan Karns.

Karns got his first major league win in his Tampa Bay debut, Hanigan homered for the first time in almost three months and the Rays beat the Blue Jays 1-0 Friday night to stop Toronto’s four-game winning streak.

“I really relied on (Hanigan) today,” Karns said. “He did a great job behind the dish and got the only run of the game. I think I owe him a steak dinner.”

Karns (1-0) allowed two hits in seven innings, struck out a career-high eight and walked two. It was the fourth big league appearance for the 26-year-old right-hander, who went 0-1 in three starts with Washington last season.

“He did a nice job,” Rays manager Joe Maddon said. “That really exceeded expectations.”

Karns was recalled Friday from Triple-A Durham, where he’d been due to start Game 4 of the Governor’s Cup series against Pawtucket. He took the rotation spot of Drew Smyly when Tampa Bay decided to end the left-hander’s season after a career-high 153 innings.

Even though the Rays are well out of the playoff race, Karns didn’t need time to think when asked where he’d rather be pitching.

“Any time you can pitch in the big leagues, you can’t take it for granted,” Karns said. “I would definitely say this, to me, is a little bit more special.”

After going 9-9 with a 5.08 ERA in 27 starts at Triple-A, Karns labored through a 25-pitch first inning. He walked two batters and hit a third, but he benefited from a double play.

“The nerves where a little overwhelming at first but then they wore off and everything settled in,” Karns said.

Toronto didn’t get its first hit until the fourth, when Danny Valencia hit a two-out double past a diving Brandon Guyer in left. Karns ended the inning by throwing a called third strike past Kevin Pillar.

Karns retired 10 of his 11 batters, allowing only Adam Lind’s two-out single in the sixth. He finished his outing by retiring two pinch hitters, striking out Colby Rasmus and getting Munenori Kawasaki to fly out.

Jake McGee worked the eighth, and Grant Balfour finished for his 12th save in 15 chances as the Rays won for the first time in three games.

Hanigan homered into the left-field bullpen on J.A Happ’s first pitch of the third. The homer was Hanigan’s first since June 16 against Baltimore.

“He was kind of challenging some guys there in the first two innings,” Hanigan said. “I wanted to be aggressive if he was going to come in there and it worked out.”

Happ (9-10) allowed seven hits in seven innings, struck out seven and walked one. It marked the 18th straight game that a Blue Jays starter has worked at least six innings, Toronto’s longest streak since a 19-game run in 1998.

“If you love good pitching, you saw it,” Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said.

ROTATION SHUFFLE

Gibbons confirmed that LHP Mark Buehrle will start against the Rays Sunday, with rookie RHP Marcus Stroman pushed back to face Baltimore on Monday. Buehrle is 2-0 with a 2.08 ERA in five starts against Tampa Bay this season. Coupled with Thursday’s off day, Stroman will get two extra days of rest.

RAYS SIGN WAGNER

Tampa Bay signed RHP Neil Wagner to a two-year minor league deal Friday. Wagner was released by Toronto earlier this month after undergoing Tommy John elbow surgery in August. Wagner, 2-4 with a 4.92 ERA in 52 career games, is expected to miss the 2015 season.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Blue Jays SS Jose Reyes was awarded first base after it appeared he had been hit on his left hand by a pitch in the eighth. While Reyes was being examined by the trainer, Maddon came out to challenge, saying McGee’s pitch had hit the knob of the bat. The call was overturned following a video review, and Reyes popped out.

UP NEXT

Rays RHP Jeremy Hellickson (1-3) faces Blue Jays RHP R.A. Dickey (12-12) on Saturday. Dickey has won his past three decisions, while the Rays have lost six straight games started by Hellickson.

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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