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Red Sox capitalize on miscues, beat Royals 6-3

By WTOP Staff

DAVE SKRETTA
AP Sports Writer

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Boston Red Sox did a better job of walking a tightrope than the Kansas City Royals.

At least, that’s how manager John Farrell summed up Thursday night’s 6-3 victory.

The last-place Red Sox took advantage of three critical errors by the first-place Royals, and managed to deal with their own costly miscue to end a frustrating four-game losing streak.

“Both sides were capitalizing on errant throws or hit-by-pitches,” Farrell said. “Any time you give a club an extra out, you’re walking a tightrope, and that was the case tonight.”

Clay Buchholz (8-8) allowed three runs, two earned, over 6 1-3 innings for the Red Sox. He turned a one-run lead over to the Boston bullpen, and it preserved his sixth straight win against the Royals. Edward Mujica handled a perfect ninth for his fifth save.

Kansas City’s advantage in the AL Central dropped to a half-game over idle Detroit.

“I felt good with my off-speed stuff early,” said Buchholz, who is starting to resemble the All-Star of last year. “With the lefties they have in their lineup, it’s a pitch I needed to have any chance of winning tonight.”

Liam Hendriks (1-2) failed to last three innings while making a spot start for left-hander Danny Duffy, who is shelved with shoulder soreness. The Royals’ defense didn’t do Hendriks any favors, either, making all three errors in the first four frames.

“There are no focus issues there,” Royals manager Ned Yost said later.

“That’s baseball,” Royals shortstop Alcides Escobar added. “That happens.”

Nearly every run scored in the game was a product of some sort of mishap, though.

In the second inning, Boston’s Will Middlebrooks doubled and then scored when Eric Hosmer allowed a two-out grounder by Christian Vazquez to get by him into right field. It was the Gold Glove first baseman’s third error in four games and his 10th of the season.

The Royals pulled ahead in the bottom half, getting a two-out double from Lorenzo Cain and back-to-back singles by Escobar and Nori Aoki. On Aoki’s hit, Escobar rounded third wide, and first baseman Mike Napoli tried to throw him out. The cross-diamond throw nearly wound up in the visiting dugout, and the error allowed Escobar to trot home for a 2-1 lead.

Boston pulled back ahead in the third. Mookie Betts singled, Xander Bogaerts walked, and Yoenis Cespedes was hit by a pitch to load the bases. Hendriks walked Napoli to tie the game, and Middlebrooks singled up the middle to give the Red Sox the lead.

They added another run in the fourth, thanks in part to two more errors.

Kansas City pieced together a promising rally in the sixth. Josh Willingham was hit by a pitch leading off, and Mike Moustakas and Lorenzo Cain hit back-to-back two-out singles to make it 4-3. But Buchholz bounced back to strike out Escobar and preserve the lead.

Jemile Weeks added a two-run double in the eighth to give Boston a cushion.

“We’re struggling offensively a little bit,” Yost said. “Plus, Hendriks went out, had a really good first inning. The error in the second inning cost him a run. He lost all his tempo in the third inning. He was really rushing his delivery to the plate.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Red Sox: 2B Dustin Pedroia had surgery Thursday to repair tendon damage and clean out scar tissue in his troublesome left wrist. He is expected to heal in about six weeks. “It created more range of motion and instant relief than Dustin has felt,” Farrell said.

Royals: RHP Greg Holland (muscle stiffness) felt good after throwing Monday, Yost said, and could have been available. … Duffy said he hopes to begin throwing in the next couple of days. He is due to start Tuesday against the White Sox.

UP NEXT

Red Sox: RHP Allen Webster (3-3, 6.47) faces Kansas City for the first time since April 2013.

Royals: RHP Yordano Ventura (12-9, 3.25) tries to win his fourth consecutive start.

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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