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Pompey hits 1st HR in win, but Jays get eliminated

By WTOP Staff

IAN HARRISON
Associated Press

TORONTO (AP) — A milestone moment for rookie outfielder Dalton Pompey gave the Blue Jays reason to smile even as their playoff hopes ended.

Pompey hit his first major league homer off Felix Hernandez, and Toronto roughed up the 2010 AL Cy Young Award winner for a career worst-tying eight earned runs Tuesday night in a 10-2 victory over the Mariners that further dented Seattle’s fading wild-card chances.

“I’ve played with that guy in video games,” Pompey said, referring to Hernandez. “To think that I just hit a home run off him is pretty crazy.”

The Blue Jays led the AL East into June and remained in wild-card contention until going 9-17 in August. They were mathematically eliminated when Kansas City beat Cleveland.

“We’re all disappointed,” starter R.A. Dickey said. “We should be.”

Pompey’s impressive drive, a second-deck shot that came with his parents and brother in the stands, eased Toronto’s pain a little bit.

“That’s what the night should be about,” Dickey said.

Pompey became the ninth Canadian player to hit a home run for the Blue Jays, joining Rob Ducey, Paul Hodgson, Corey Koskie, Brett Lawrie, Adam Loewen, Dave McKay, Simon Pond and Matt Stairs.

Edwin Encarnacion had a two-run homer and Dickey (14-12) allowed two runs over seven innings to win for the fourth time in five starts.

The slumping Mariners fell three games out of the second AL wild-card spot with five games remaining.

“As an ace, I take responsibility,” Hernandez said. “I let my team down. That’s my fault.”

Seattle lost its fourth straight thanks to another poor effort by a starting pitcher. Mariners starters have failed to complete five innings in any of the past four games, allowing 27 earned runs over 14 2-3 innings in that span for an ugly ERA of 16.56.

“We’re not playing well right now,” manager Lloyd McClendon said. “A lot of things are going wrong, but we’re still alive.”

Hernandez (14-6) came in with a 2.07 ERA this season and had allowed just three earned runs in 28 innings over four September starts. He gave up a run in the first on Encarnacion’s RBI single, but retired the next 11 batters, striking out five.

That streak ended in the fifth, when Pompey led off with his homer. Anthony Gose doubled, Josh Thole reached on a bunt single and Ryan Goins made it 3-2 Toronto with a sacrifice fly.

“After that it was downhill,” Hernandez said.

It sure was. Jose Reyes singled, Jose Bautista walked and Encarnacion drew a bases-loaded walk before Adam Lind hit an RBI single. Munenori Kawasaki drove in a run with a fielder’s choice, and Pompey walked before Dominic Leone replaced Hernandez.

Leone did Hernandez no favors, hitting Gose with a pitch to force in another run and giving up an RBI single to Thole before Goins flied out, ending the seven-run, 13-batter inning. The seven runs were the most ever allowed by Hernandez in a single inning.

Hernandez gave up seven hits, walked three and boosted his career-high strikeout total to 241.

NORRIS GETS NOD

Blue Jays LHP Daniel Norris was tabbed to start Thursday’s series finale in place of suspended Marcus Stroman. Manager John Gibbons said Norris, who will be making his first big league start, will be limited to two or three innings. Stroman will work out of the bullpen once he returns Friday.

TWO MORE YEARS

The Blue Jays extended their contract with Class A Lansing through the 2016 season. Lansing has been affiliated with Toronto since 2005.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Blue Jays: Lind returned to first base after missing the previous three games with a sore back.

UP NEXT

Mariners RHP Taijuan Walker (1-2) faces Blue Jays LHP Mark Buehrle (12-10) on Wednesday. Buehrle is six innings shy of reaching 200 for the 14th consecutive season.

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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