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Verlander can’t escape, White Sox beat Tigers

By WTOP Staff

MEGHAN MONTEMURRO
Associated Press

CHICAGO (AP) — Even when a scuffling Justin Verlander is equipped with some of his best stuff of the season, as he was Wednesday night against the Chicago White Sox, his struggles continue.

Despite routinely hitting 96 mph with his fastball, Verlander let costly walks put him in tough spots and the White Sox capitalized. Chicago scored seven runs in the sixth inning and beat the Detroit Tigers 8-2.

Verlander (6-6) gave up seven runs and eight hits in 5 2-3 innings, and his four walks tied a season high. It wasn’t the performance the Tigers needed from their ace as they have lost three consecutive games and eight of their last 10.

“It’s kind of everything that can go wrong is going wrong, not just for myself, but for this team. But we’ll battle through it,” Verlander said.

Jose Abreu hit an early homer off Verlander, then singled to start a seven-run burst in the sixth.

Abreu went 3 for 4 with a walk and scored twice. The Cuban rookie has 19 home runs and 50 RBIs this season.

This marked marked the 15th time in 280 career starts that Verlander has allowed seven or more runs. Of those 15 shaky outings, this was the time Verlander issued four walks.

“No, there’s nothing in particular that concerns me with Justin that I could tell you,” Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said. “We’ve got to find a way to fix him.”

Said Verlander: “I mean it is troublesome, yeah, but just need to continue to work on what I’ve been working on.”

“This is not easy for me to look back at, but at the same point, I can go back and say, ‘I got myself into that trouble.’ And if I don’t walk those guys, it’s a completely different ballgame.”

The seven runs in an inning matched a season high for Chicago. The White Sox, who have won two straight against the AL Central-leading Tigers, also scored seven on May 9 against Arizona.

John Danks (5-5) allowed two runs and six hits in seven innings. He has permitted just five runs in 29 1-3 innings over his past four starts.

“I felt like I got in a good rhythm at the start,” he said. “I was able to throw the ball over the plate and let these guys work behind me. I caught some breaks, guys were making plays behind me and tried to get these guys in the dugout and let these guys swing the bat.”

Abreu connected on Verlander’s first pitch of the second inning for a solo homer over the left-center field wall.

Detroit tied it in the fourth when Miguel Cabrera doubled and scored on a groundout by Torii Hunter.

Singles by Abreu, Adam Dunn and Alexei Ramirez loaded the bases with no outs in the sixth. Dayan Viciedo grounded into a double play and Abreu scored for a 2-1 lead.

It appeared as if Verlander might escape with just one run scoring, but Alejandro De Aza followed with a bloop single for a run, and Adrian Nieto and Adam Eaton drew walks to load the bases.

That brought up Gordon Beckham, and Ausmus kept Verlander in the game despite the right-hander had thrown 121 pitches to that point. The next pitch was a 96 mph fastball that Beckham lined for a two-run single.

Ausmus said Verlander is “our horse” and wanted him to face Eaton and Beckham, who Verlander has fared well against in the past.

“He’s a quality pitcher, one of the best in our league,” White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. “I don’t care what the numbers are or the last couple of games. He’s a tough guy to beat.”

Reliever Ian Krol faced three batters and retired no one. He gave up a two-run double to Conor Gillaspie and — following an intentional walk to Abreu — an RBI single to Dunn.

NOTES: Cabrera (left hamstring) said he was feeling better, but Ausmus decided to keep the slugger at DH. “Give him another day,” Ausmus said. “We don’t want this lingering.” … The Tigers decided to skip LHP Drew Smyly and keep the matchup between Max Scherzer (7-2) and Chris Sale (5-0) for the series finale Thursday. Smyly, originally scheduled to pitch Wednesday, will pitch Friday against Minnesota.

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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