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Scherzer tosses 3-hitter for 1st complete game

By WTOP Staff

MATT CARLSON
Associated Press

CHICAGO (AP) — Max Scherzer already has a Cy Young Award. Now he has a complete game.

Scherzer tossed a three-hitter in his 179th career start for his first complete game and Victor Martinez hit his 16th homer to lead the Detroit Tigers a 4-0 win over the Chicago White Sox.

“It’s awesome,” said Scherzer, who threw 113 pitches. “I finally got the monkey off my back.

“I was finally able to go nine and finish the deal, so it’s good feeling.”

Scherzer (8-2) was back in his 2013 Cy Young form, striking out eight and walking three while outdueling Chicago starter Chris Sale (5-1). Only three times did the White Sox have men in scoring position.

“I was surprised when I found out that he had no complete games,” Detroit manager Brad Ausmus said. “But he wanted this one for sure. He was on his game tonight. He has a Cy Young for reason.”

Sale was nearly as sharp as Scherzer. He struck out 10 — all swinging — to match a season high and allowed five hits in seven innings.

“When you face Sale, you’ve got to bring your ‘A” game,” Scherzer said. “There’s no room for error.”

Martinez hit a solo shot into the left field bullpen to lead off the fifth for the only run off Sale. Miguel Cabrera drove in two runs with an infield single with two out in the eighth of reliever Jake Petricka to put the Tigers ahead 3-0.

Bryan Holiday drove in an insurance run in the ninth.

Sale didn’t allow a baserunner until Rajai Davis led off the fourth with a single and left the game with Detroit leading 1-0. But Scherzer was a bit better.

“He was dominant,” Sale said of Scherzer. “You know coming into this, you know who you’re going up against and it’s not going to be easy.

“For a long time there, it was who’s going to flinch first and unfortunately it was me.”

Scherzer had allowed 20 runs over 26 1-3 innings in his previous four starts, going 1-1. The right-hander pitched nine innings once before in a game, on Sept. 1, 2010, in 2-1 10-inning loss to Minnesota.

Martinez, who entered the game second in the AL with .330 average, extended his hitting streak to seven games as the Tigers ended a three-game losing streak and won for just the third time in their last 11. By salvaging the final game of its rain-shortened series against the White Sox, first-place Detroit widened its AL Central lead to 2 ½ games over idle Kansas City.

Martinez is batting .327 against Chicago in 154 games with 24 homers and is 13 for 25 (.520) against Sale.

Sale rebounded nicely from his previous start, a no-decision last Saturday in Anaheim when he took a three-hit shutout and 5-0 lead into the eighth against the Angels, but then fell apart.

Scherzer walked Alejandro De Aza and Adam Eaton in the third for the game’s first two baserunners. But Gordon Beckham flew out deep to right to end the threat.

Davis led off the fourth with the game’s first hit, a smashed, one-bounce single off the glove of White Sox third baseman Conor Gillaspie. But Sale picked Davis off during the next at-bat.

NOTES: Sale struck out at least 10 and walked none for the third time in his career. .. Cabrera moved back to first base after a left hamstring pull restricted him to DH for two games. CF Austin Jackson entered the game with 10 hits in his last 20 at-bats — but is just 2-for-30 lifetime against Sale and didn’t start. “It’s just really a good time to give him (Jackson) a day off,” Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said. “You want to give guys a day off, generally speaking, against pitchers they don’t do as well against.” Rajai Davis moved to center field and J.D. Martinez starting in left. . Slumping Chicago C Tyler Flowers returned after sitting out Thursday. He entered the game 3 for his last 37. . The White Sox open a series at home against Kansas City on Friday with Jose Quintana (3-6) expected to face Jeremy Guthrie (2-6). The Tigers host Minnesota on Friday with Drew Smyly (3-4) slated to start against the Twins Kyle Gibson (5-5).

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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