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Indians beat Tigers 11-10 in 13th on walk-off balk

By WTOP Staff

CLEVELAND (AP) — After 475 pitches, 20 runs and more than five hours of baseball, the Cleveland Indians and Detroit Tigers settled this lengthy game in a most bizarre fashion: a walkoff balk.

Al Alburquerque’s bases-loaded balk in the 13th inning Wednesday gave the Indians an 11-10 victory over Detroit.

“I don’t even know where to start with that game,” Indians right-fielder David Murphy said. “I don’t know if that was a baseball game or a marathon combined with a circus.”

Murphy tied the game that took 5 hours, 16 minutes in the ninth with a two-run homer off Joe Nathan

Alex Avila’s two-out homer in the top of the 13th put Detroit ahead, but the Indians scored twice for their second walkoff win in the three-game sweep.

Mike Aviles led off with a single against Phil Coke (0-1) and took second on Michael Bourn’s sacrifice. After Asdrubal Cabrera was hit by a pitch, Michael Brantley lined a single to left for his fourth hit that scored Aviles, who slid home before Rajai Davis’ throw.

After a groundout, Alburquerque relieved and pinch-hitter Yan Gomes was walked intentionally to load the bases. Ryan Raburn took the first pitch for a ball. As Alburquerque went into his set position, he appeared to move his leg and glove and then stopped.

Indians manager Terry Francona couldn’t remember a game ending on a balk, but he knew Alburquerque committed one.

“It was definitely a balk,” he said. “If they hadn’t have called it we would have went out there and argued.”

The Tigers put up no argument.

“He just went to come set and he stopped and it was pretty blatant,” Avila said. “There wasn’t any controversy about that one.”

According to STATS, the game-ending balk is the first since July 4, 2011, when the Royals’ Aaron Crow committed one in the ninth inning against the White Sox. It’s also the first walkoff balk in extra innings since June 16, 2011, when the Mets’ D.J. Carrasco did it against the Braves.

Josh Tomlin (3-1), the Indians’ ninth pitcher, worked the final three innings.

Tigers slugger Miguel Cabrera and manager Brad Ausmus were ejected in the sixth inning by plate umpire Tim Timmons for arguing balls and strikes.

Raburn raised his arms in victory after the balk was called and the Indians rushed from the dugout to mob Cabrera at the plate. Cabrera had been hit on the knee by Coke’s pitcher and spent several moments on the ground before going to first.

The Indians’ bid to win in the 10th ended when Davis’ throw to the plate got Lonnie Chisenhall, who was trying to score on Bourn’s flyball.

Zach McAllister allowed four runs in the first and didn’t retire a batter in the third. Having already used seven relievers, Francona had no choice but to call on Tomlin in the 11th even though the right-hander was scheduled to start Thursday in Baltimore.

Asked how long Tomlin would have pitched, Francona said, “Till we won or lost. There was nobody else.”

“I don’t know if I’ve ever done that before, but I was ready,” Tomlin. “They asked me about the 10th inning if I could pitch, so I ran and got my spikes.”

A roster move to add Thursday’s starter will be made before that game.

Max Scherzer allowed seven runs in seven innings. He gave up one run in the first, five in the second and another in the third, but blanked the Indians over his final four innings of work. The right-hander gave up 12 hits and threw 113 pitches.

Scherzer, last season’s AL Cy Young winner, had allowed six total runs in his previous six starts, all wins, over 39 innings.

A dropped throw by Cabrera helped Detroit break a 7-all tie in the eighth.

J.D. Martinez, who hit a two-run homer in the first, had three RBIs. Victor Martinez was 3 for 6 with two RBIs, including a solo homer in the third.

Chisenhall hit a solo homer for Cleveland.

McAllister allowed five runs in two innings.

NOTES: Tigers OF Torii Hunter had the day off. … Indians DH Jason Giambi played for the first time since May 3 when he strained his right calf. He came off the 15-day disabled list Tuesday. … Victor Martinez is 8 for 13 with seven RBIs lifetime against McAllister. … Bench coach Gene Lamont ran the team after Ausmus was ejected. … McAllister is 0-4 with a 9.51 ERA in his last six starts.

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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