Skip to main content

Ellsbury, Jeter, Yankees again beat Buehrle, Jays

By WTOP Staff

BEN WALKER
AP Baseball Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — From the get-go, Jacoby Ellsbury and Derek Jeter showed Mark Buehrle that it would be another no-go against the New York Yankees.

Ellsbury lined a leadoff double to the wall, Jeter followed with a hard single and the Yankees beat Buehrle for the 12th straight time over a decade-plus, sending Toronto to its season-worst sixth straight loss, 5-3 Friday night.

The Yankees won their third in a row to preserve their faint playoff hopes. They began the day five games behind Oakland for the second AL wild-card spot, with Seattle and Cleveland also in the way.

“End strong, see what happens,” Adam Warren said after earning a save.

Ellsbury homered, doubled and drove in three runs, but made an early exit. He hustled to beat a double-play relay as the Yankees took a 5-2 lead in the fourth inning, and left before the fifth with a strained right hamstring.

Manager Joe Girardi said he doubted Ellsbury would play Saturday against the Blue Jays and said it was a “distinct possibility” that he was done for the season.

The cheers for Jeter kept getting louder and louder during his final homestand, and fans chanted his name throughout the ninth inning.

Jeter delivered two singles, including one where he carried the shattered-off bat handle all the way to first base, and posted back-to-back multihit games for the first time since late July. The retiring captain later hit a long fly that really got the crowd hollering before it was caught on the warning track.

The 40-year-old shortstop also alertly tricked speedy Jose Reyes off second by bluffing a throw to first, trapping him in a rundown.

Buehrle (12-10) is winless in 17 starts against the Yankees since April 2004. His losing streak against New York is the longest by any pitcher against a single opponent since Bobby Witt dropped 12 in a row to Cleveland from 1991-99, STATS said.

Buehrle, who has 198 career victories, fell to 1-14 lifetime against the Yankees.

“That is the way it goes, it is almost getting to the point where you want to laugh it off,” he said.

Hiroki Kuroda (11-9) gave up Edwin Encarnacion’s two-run homer off the left-field foul pole in the first, and little else.

Reliever Esmil Rogers, who was waived twice this season by Toronto, retired Encarnacion on a bases-loaded grounder to end the seventh. Warren pitched 1 2-3 innings for his third save while closer David Robertson and setup man Dellin Betances got the night off.

Reyes doubled twice and singled. The shortstop threw wide on Ellsbury’s RBI forceout, and the error allowed another run to score.

NICE JOB, KID

Canadian rookie Dalton Pompey got his first major league hit for Toronto in the second. Jeter got the ball back from the outfield and tossed it into the dugout, then gave the 21-year-old newcomer a slap on the back when the inning ended.

“He said, ‘Congrats, I hope for a great career for you,'” Pompey said. “And I said, ‘Thanks, it is a pleasure to meet you.’ And he said, ‘Likewise, keep swinging it.’ So it was good words from him.”

“I just talked to Derek Jeter,” Pompey said. “Surreal, right?”

STUCK

Brett Gardner went hitless in four at-bats, striking out twice. Dropped to sixth in the Yankees’ lineup, he’s in a career-worst 0-for-27 slump.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Blue Jays: Encarnacion had an MRI on his back before the game. Manager John Gibbons said it flared up this week in Baltimore.

Yankees: DH Carlos Beltran played for the first time since announcing his wife had a miscarriage of the couple’s son. Beltran left the team Monday and returned on Thursday. Girardi said “sometimes, for athletes, for anyone, it’s good to get back out there, to doing what you’re used to doing and living that normal life. But obviously he’s got a heavy heart, and we’ve got a heavy heart with him.” Beltran went 0 for 4.

UP NEXT

Blue Jays: Rookie RHP Marcus Stroman (10-6, 3.80) starts on Saturday. He is currently appealing a six-game suspension imposed this week by Major League Baseball for throwing at the head of a Baltimore hitter in his last start. Gibbons said the team wants to get the matter resolved before the end of the season so there is no carry-over next year.

Yankees: LHP Chris Capuano (2-3, 4.55) is set to pitch against the Blue Jays for the sixth time this year. He faced them three times in relief with Boston, and has started twice against them for New York.

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