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Chen, Orioles beat slumping Red Sox 6-0

By WTOP Staff

DAVID GINSBURG
AP Sports Writer

BALTIMORE (AP) — Wei-Yin Chen turned in his finest performance of the season, yet there was reason to believe his masterful outing had something to do with the team he was facing — the struggling Boston Red Sox.

Chen allowed four hits over seven innings, Chris Davis homered and the Baltimore Orioles cruised to a 6-0 victory Wednesday night at soggy Camden Yards.

Nick Hundley had two hits and an RBI for the Orioles, who yielded only one run in winning two of three from the defending World Series champions.

“I’d be the first to say I think we kind of caught Boston not swinging the bats as well as they’re capable of,” Baltimore manager Buck Showalter said. “But I’m impressed with the way our guys pitched the last three days.”

Chen (7-2) did not return after rain delayed the game for 1 hour, 38 minutes in the middle of the seventh. The Taiwanese left-hander struck out a season-high seven, walked none and was aided by three double plays.

“There is not much difference between this outing and the previous outings but I think if I had to say one, it’s my command,” Chen said through a translator. “My command on my breaking balls. I was able to locate them in the strike zone or out of the strike zone. That’s the main difference.”

It didn’t hurt that he was going up against a Boston team that has been blanked six times, twice in this series.

“One run in 27 innings is extremely difficult,” Red Sox manager John Farrell said. “You credit their pitching, you credit inning-ending double plays three different times tonight. We’ve got to a better job offensively all the way around.”

Dustin Pedroia had two singles for the Red Sox, who have lost seven of nine.

“We haven’t been swinging the bats good,” Pedroia said. “It seems like when we do hit the ball well it’s right at somebody or we get a rally going and we find a way to stop it quick. You’ve got to keep fighting through it. It’s all we can do.”

Rubby De La Rosa (1-2) needed only 15 pitches to dig himself and the Red Sox a 3-0 hole. Steve Pearce walked and scored on a double by Adam Jones before Davis went deep into the right-field seats.

It was the 10th home run of the season for Davis, the defending major league home run champion. The slugger took extra batting practice before the game in an effort to break out of a 3-for-19 skid.

After play resumed in the seventh with Baltimore ahead 4-0, the few fans remaining watched Darren O’Day and Zach Britton each pitch an inning to complete the four-hitter.

“I was real pleased and proud of the way our guys pitched the last three days, all of them, the bullpen, too,” Showalter said. “They came in and did what they’re supposed to do and we didn’t have to get anybody up behind them.”

Chen retired the first 11 batters, six by strikeout, before Pedroia lined a single into the right-field corner with two outs in the fourth. He was thrown out by Nick Markakis trying to stretch it into a double.

After Baltimore went up 4-0 in the fourth on a two-out RBI single by Hundley, a replay wiped out the inning’s second run. Hundley was called safe at second base on a fielder’s choice as Jonathan Schoop scored, but Farrell asked for a replay and Hundley was subsequently ruled out.

In the eighth, Red Sox reliever Chris Capuano walked Schoop and Markakis with the bases loaded.

NOTES: The Orioles’ 10-game homestand continues Thursday with the opener of a four-game series against AL East-leading Toronto. Mark Buehrle (10-2) starts for the Jays against Kevin Gausman (1-1). … Boston sends Jon Lester (6-7) to the mound Thursday night in the opener of a four-game series against Cleveland. … Pedroia went 2 for 3 against Chen and is 14 for 27 lifetime against the lefty. … Orioles 3B Manny Machado, who’s appealing a suspension that was supposed to start Tuesday, went 0 for 3 and is hitless in his last 18 at-bats. … On the day he turned 26, Boston’s Brock Holt had his 10-game hitting streak end and failed to reach base for only the second time in 20 starts as Boston’s leadoff hitter.

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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