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Gausman pitches Orioles past Blue Jays 4-2

By WTOP Staff

DAVID GINSBURG
AP Sports Writer

BALTIMORE (AP) — In a matchup between the two top teams in the AL East, a rookie right-hander got the best of a 35-year-old looking for his major-league leading 11th win.

Kevin Gausman gave up one run over six innings and Delmon Young homered as the Baltimore Orioles beat Mark Buehrle and the Toronto Blue Jays 4-2 on Thursday night.

Nick Markakis had two hits and an RBI for the Orioles, who moved within 3 1-2 games of first-place Toronto.

Gausman (2-1) allowed five hits, walked three and struck out three in his second consecutive solid outing. The 2012 first-round draft pick stymied Oakland on June 7 after being recalled from Triple-A Norfolk and now appears to be a fixture in the starting rotation.

Well, maybe.

“He’s done what it takes to be considered,” Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. “He’s taking care of his end of it.”

Gausman, 23, has given up only two runs in 13 innings during his latest stint with Baltimore.

“I feel good about what I’ve done. I feel comfortable right now,” Gausman said. “Whatever happens is going to be for the club’s best interest.”

Zach Britton worked the ninth for his sixth save. The victory wasn’t secured, however, until a replay review confirmed the final out on a double-play grounder.

Buehrle (10-3) yielded four runs and eight hits in 6 1-3 innings to lose his second straight start following a six-game winning streak. The left-hander allowed three runs or fewer in 12 of his previous 13 starts.

“I feel like there were times I made a lot of mistakes and they made me pay for them” Buehrle said. “And I made a few good pitches and they put the ball in play and got some base hits.”

Toronto has lost three straight and five of six, scoring only four runs in those five defeats.

“As hot as we were, we were going to cool off sooner or later,” manager John Gibbons said. “We’ll get it going. We’re too good of an offense. We’ll be OK.”

Baltimore needed just two at-bats to take a 2-0 lead. Markakis led off with a single and the seldom-used Young sent a changeup into the seats in left field, his first home run since April 8, and only the fourth against Buehrle this season.

It was the eighth straight game in which Toronto allowed the opposition to score first. In those games, the Blue Jays have been outscored 16-4 in the first three innings.

“It seems like we’ve gone out as starting pitchers and given up runs in the first inning,” Buehrle said. “When your offense is struggling to score runs … it kind of seems it’s taking the wind right out of our sails. We got to do a better job going out there and throwing up zeroes.”

The Orioles made it 3-0 in the third. Manny Machado led off with a double to end an 0-for-18 skid and Caleb Joseph delivered an RBI single.

Toronto got a run in the fifth when Juan Francisco doubled and came home on a single by Melky Cabrera. The double ended Baltimore’s string of 23 innings without allowing an extra-base hit, and the run snapped the Orioles’ streak of 19 consecutive scoreless innings.

That would be the only flaw in an otherwise solid performance by Gausman, who was 0-1 with a 6.14 ERA in his previous four appearances against Toronto.

“Gausman was good tonight,” Gibbons said. “He’s got that overpowering fastball. He was keeping it in the zone. I think in the past he’s had some control issues, but it’s all coming together for him.”

Doubles by Jonathan Schoop and Markakis put Baltimore up 4-1 in the seventh, and Toronto got a run off Ryan Webb in the eighth when Jose Bautista doubled, stole third and scored on a groundout by Adam Lind.

NOTES: Toronto OF Colby Rasmus (right hamstring) went 1 for 3 in his first rehab start Thursday, serving as DH for Triple-A Buffalo. … Baltimore will send Ubaldo Jimenez (2-7) to the mound Friday night in the second game of the series. Jimenez is 0-5 with a 7.04 ERA in six home starts. Drew Hutchison (4-4) will start for Toronto. … Baltimore pitchers have gone 42 straight innings without allowing a home run. … Toronto’s Jose Reyes opened the game with a single to extend his hitting streak to 13 games. … Markakis passed Brian Roberts and moved into sole possession of seventh place on the Orioles’ career list with 1,453 hits.

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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