Skip to main content

Lind hits tiebreaking homer, Jays beat Rays 6-3

By WTOP Staff

IAN HARRISON
Associated Press

TORONTO (AP) — Adam Lind ended the longest home-run drought of his career at a good time for the Toronto Blue Jays.

Lind hit a tiebreaking, two-run shot in the seventh inning, Edwin Encarnacion also went deep and the Blue Jays beat the Tampa Bay Rays 6-3 on Saturday.

Lind connected off Brad Boxberger (5-2) for his first homer since June 23 against the New York Yankees. He’d gone 36 games without homering, seven more than his previous longest stretch.

“Nice to join the party,” joked Lind, who finished 2 for 3 with a walk and three RBIs.

Manager John Gibbons said Lind has “one of the nicest, pure swings you’re going to find.”

“Against right-handers, there’s not a better hitter out there,” Gibbons said.

Encarnacion followed Lind’s drive by sending the first pitch he saw from Steve Geltz into the second deck in left, the eighth time this season the Blue Jays have hit back-to-back home runs.

R.A. Dickey (13-12) allowed three runs and four hits in seven innings to win his fourth straight decision as the Blue Jays improved to 8-3 in September. Toronto came in four games out in the AL wild-card race.

Blue Jays starters have worked six innings or more in 19 consecutive games. That matches the longest such streak in team history, first set in 1998.

“The rotation is on some kind of roll,” Gibbons said.

Brett Cecil worked the eighth and Casey Janssen finished for his 23rd save in 28 chances as the Blue Jays won for the fifth time in seven meetings with the Rays.

Tampa Bay opened the scoring against Dickey after just six pitches. Leadoff hitter Ben Zobrist doubled, moved to third on a grounder and scored on Evan Longoria’s groundout.

Kevin Kiermaier scored on a wild pitch to make it 2-0 in the third, but the Blue Jays answered with three runs in the bottom half. Ryan Goins scored on a throwing error by pitcher Jeremy Hellickson, Jose Bautista drove in the second run with a single off Hellickson’s glove, and the third run scored on Lind’s grounder.

Hellickson, who won a Gold Glove in 2012, was upset at himself over his two fielding miscues.

“That was pretty embarrassing,” he said. “Those plays have got to be made.”

Longoria tied it again when he led off the sixth inning with his 21st home run.

Hellickson allowed two earned runs and four hits in six innings, matching a season high with eight strikeouts. He also struck out eight Blue Jays on Aug. 23 at Toronto.

Rays outfielder Matt Joyce was ejected by home plate umpire Paul Nauert for arguing after he struck out in the ninth.

PEPPER SPRAY

A fan behind Tampa Bay’s dugout threw a pepper at Rays SS Yunel Escobar as he left the field. Escobar, who was reprimanded for writing a slur on his eye black while playing for Toronto in 2012, declined to comment. Police said they were attempting to identify the fan using video.

WEB GEM

Two-time Gold Glove 3B Longoria made a diving stop on Danny Valencia’s grounder down the third base line to begin the second and, from foul territory, made a one-hop throw from one knee to get the out at first. “I thought it was a double,” Rays manager Joe Maddon said. “It was past him when he made the play. Great play, great throw.”

DURHAM FACES DECIDER

Tampa Bay’s Triple-A affiliate, the Durham Bulls, were a strike away from claiming their second straight Governor’s Cup title Friday night, but gave up a tying hit to Pawtucket’s Rusney Castillo, the recent $72 million signing by Boston. Durham, who lost 4-2 in 13 innings, hosts Pawtucket in the decisive Game 5 on Saturday night.

WALK THIS WAY

Blue Jays OF Kevin Pillar drew a one-out walk in the sixth, his first base on balls in 90 plate appearances this season.

UP NEXT

Rays RHP Chris Archer (9-8) faces Mark Buehrle (12-9) in Sunday’s series finale. Buehrle, who’s 2-0 with a 2.08 ERA in five starts against the Rays this season, was bumped up a day to face Tampa Bay, with rookie Marcus Stroman pushed back for extra rest. Archer will face Toronto for the sixth time in 2014.

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