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White Sox eliminate Rays from playoff contention

By WTOP Staff

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Jeremy Hellickson isn’t used to playing meaningless games.

“It’s definitely no fun when you come to the park and you know you’re not going to be playing in October,” Hellickson said after giving up four runs and seven hits in 4 1-3 innings of Tampa Bay’s 4-3 loss to the Chicago White Sox on Friday night that eliminated the Rays from playoff contention.

“In the four or five years I’ve been here I haven’t been involved in too many games that haven’t meant anything.”

The Rays, who dropped to 35-44 at home, began the day 9 1/2 games behind the second AL wild-card spot.

Jose Quintana pitched into the eighth inning and Avisail Garcia had a two-run double for the White Sox. Chicago rookie Jose Abreu also had a run-scoring single during a four-run fifth, giving him 104 RBIs for the season.

“We put ourselves in a significant hole (they were 24-42 on June 10) and it’s been really hard to dig out,” Rays manager Joe Maddon said. “To not be involved in the postseason is no fun. We expect to be there on an annual basis.”

The Rays reached the playoffs four of the preceding six years.

Tampa Bay had a chance to tie the score in the seventh when Ben Zobrist hit a two-out double off the glove of second baseman Marcus Semien, but Semien recovered the ball in time to throw out Kevin Kiermaier at the plate. Kiermaier was attempting to score from first base after his single.

“I never criticize (Kiermaier) because he’s always aggressive,” Maddon said. “Their guy picks it up and throws a strike at the plate. Out. There’s no guarantee that he would have scored on the next hitter doing something.”

Logan Forsythe drove in Tampa Bay’s runs with a two-run double in the first and a leadoff home run in the fourth, his sixth of the season.

Quintana (9-10) gave up three runs — one earned — and nine hits in 7 1-3 innings. The left-hander is 3-0 with a 1.65 ERA over his last four starts.

“After the homer, I think he just really settled down and was aggressive,” said White Sox manager Robin Ventura. “Really it’s kind of a calling card of his. He gets stronger as the game goes along.”

Zach Putnam got the last two outs, striking out Kiermaier with two runners on in the ninth to earn his sixth save.

Hellickson (1-4) failed to get through the fifth inning for the third time in his last five starts.

“It’s just happened so many times this year with guys giving me a three- or four-run lead, and I throw four or five scoreless and then just lose it the next inning,” he said.

TRAINER’S ROOM

White Sox: 1B Paul Konerko, retiring after the season, played for the first time since breaking his left hand in a Sept. 2 game against Minnesota.

Rays: IF Sean Rodriguez was not with the team because of a death in the family. … CF Desmond Jennings (sore left knee) is no longer listed as an extra player on the clubhouse lineup card and is expected to miss the rest of the season.

UP NEXT

White Sox RHP Hector Noesi (8-10) and Rays RHP Chris Archer (9-8) are Saturday night’s scheduled starters. Archer has allowed a homer in four consecutive starts. He had never given up a homer in more than two straight games prior to this stretch.

ZIMMER AWARD

Tampa Bay INF-OF Ben Zobrist was named as the Don Zimmer Most Valuable Player by the local BBWAA chapter. The Rays MVP award was re-named this year for Zimmer, the Rays senior adviser who died in June.

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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