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Plouffe lifts Twins past Indians in 10th

By WTOP Staff

ANDREW KRAMMER
Associated Press

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Trevor Plouffe and the Minnesota Twins played spoiler — at the Cleveland Indians’ expense.

Plouffe singled in Danny Santana in the 10th inning to give the Twins a 5-4, comeback victory Friday night, further damaging the Indians’ already slim playoff hopes.

“It’s not exactly where we want to be. We’d rather be on their side,” Plouffe said. “We know we’re out of it, but this is a time for a lot of guys to show they can play in a situation like this, against these good teams late in the season. I think we did a pretty good job.”

The Twins won their third straight game after taking two of a three-game series against the AL Central-leading Detroit Tigers at Target Field this week.

Santana led off the 10th inning with a single off Kyle Crockett (4-1) and advanced to third on Brian Dozier’s single to right-center. Joe Mauer was intentionally walked to load the bases and Crockett struck out rookie slugger Kennys Vargas, who homered in the game.

Josh Tomlin entered the game to face Plouffe, who dropped a two-strike pitch just in front of lunging center-fielder Michael Bourn.

“(Plouffe) took a bad swing on the first pitch, then regrouped,” Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. “The guy kind of got one out and over the plate and he flipped it out there, which like I said, was a big one.” With the Twins trailing 4-3 in the ninth, Kurt Suzuki hit a one-out double off closer Cody Allen and was replaced by pinch-runner Eduardo Nunez. Nunez moved to third on Oswaldo Arcia’s single and scored to tie it when Aaron Hicks grounded into fielder’s choice.

Jared Burton (3-5) stranded Michael Brantley at second base to end the top of the 10th. Brantley homered and Lonnie Chisenhall had two hits and a RBI for Cleveland, which entered the night four games out of the final AL wild-card spot.

Twins starter Phil Hughes lasted seven innings, allowing 10 hits, four earned runs and striking out five batters in the no decision.

Minnesota has nine games left this season, six against the Indians and Tigers.

“Obviously, not much to play for at this time,” Hughes said. “But we’ll certainly spoil some people’s plans and that’s fun sometimes.”

Arcia homered for Minnesota in the third off Trevor Bauer. It was Arcia’s fourth homer this season off Bauer.

Josh Tomlin was the eighth reliever for Cleveland, which set an American League record during the game by going to the bullpen 547 times this season.

Detroit and Kansas City sit atop the AL Central and play a three-game series this weekend. Cleveland needs one of those teams to sweep the other, then some help from Oakland and Seattle in order to sneak into the playoffs.

TRAINER’S ROOM

TWINS: All-Star closer Glen Perkins has been shut down for the season with a strain and nerve irritation in his left forearm. Twins GM Terry Ryan said Perkins should be ready in plenty of time for spring training after an offseason strengthening and maintenance program.

Ryan said SS Eduardo Escobar should return from a jammed shoulder in the next couple of days.

INDIANS: 2B Jason Kipnis missed the game with a sore right hamstring. Francona said Kipnis could be back for Saturday’s game.

OF Ryan Raburn underwent surgery on his left knee Friday to repair a lateral meniscus tear, ending his season. He hit .200 with four homers and 22 RBIs after signing a two-year, $4.85 million contract extension in the offseason.

UP NEXT

Twins rookie Trevor May (3-4, 7.71) will try to win his fourth straight after losing the first four starts of his career.

T.J. House (3-3, 3.42) will make his 17th career start. He’ll be pitching on nine days rest and is 2-0 with a 1.56 ERA against the Twins.

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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