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Tigers get swept on walkoff balk in 13th inning

By WTOP Staff

CLEVELAND (AP) — No one would blame the Detroit Tigers for being happy to go home.

The final leg of their road trip was one they would like to forget.

Not only were they swept in a three-game series by the Cleveland Indians, Wednesday’s 11-10 loss in 13 innings ended on a walkoff balk.

Al Alburquerque’s bases-loaded balk finished a trip that began with six straight wins on a down note.

Alex Avila’s two-out homer in the top of the inning put Detroit ahead, but the Indians, who tied the game in the ninth on David Murphy’s two-run homer off Joe Nathan, rallied again.

“It’s very disappointing, you want to win the game especially having lost the first two in the series,” Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said. “But you know, I think every team has two or three games like this over the course of the season where it’s kind of a see-saw, it’s a battle. Unfortunately, we didn’t come out on top.”

Ausmus wasn’t even around for the bizarre ending. He and slugger Miguel Cabrera were ejected in the sixth by plate umpire Tim Timmons for arguing balls and strikes.

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.

The Tigers put up no argument on how the 5-hour, 16-minute marathon that totaled 475 pitches finally ended.

“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 walkoff 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.

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

Detroit scored four times in the first, but AL Cy Young winner Max Scherzer couldn’t make the lead hold up, allowing 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.

“They were ultra-aggressive today in trying to come at me,” said Scherzer, who had allowed six total runs in his previous six starts, all wins, over 39 innings. “And when I left pitches in the zone, or when I fell behind, they did a great job of capitalizing on it.”

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.

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

The long afternoon capped an eventful three days for the Tigers, who were stranded in Boston on Sunday night because of mechanical problems with their plane, and didn’t arrive in Cleveland until three hours prior to Monday night’s game, which they lost in 10 innings. The defeat ended a six-game winning streak and an 11-game winning streak on the road.

Justin Verlander allowed five runs in the first two innings in Tuesday night’s loss before Wednesday’s unusual events.

“It was a tough loss,” Ausmus said. “We played very well the first six games (of the road trip), and we come into Cleveland and get swept. It was a tough loss.”

Miguel Cabrera, the two-time AL MVP, was thrown out after taking a called strike on the first pitch. Ausmus charged out of the dugout and had a heated argument with Timmons before being kicked out for the first time in his managerial career.

Josh Tomlin (3-1) pitched the final three innings.

NOTES: Tigers OF Torii Hunter had the day off. … Victor Martinez is 8 for 13 with seven RBIs lifetime against McAllister. … Bench coach Gene Lamont ran the team after Ausmus was ejected. … The Tigers open a four-game series at Comerica Park against Texas on Thursday afternoon.

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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