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Orioles hit 4 HRs off Saunders, beat Rangers 7-1

By WTOP Staff

DAVID GINSBURG
AP Sports Writer

BALTIMORE (AP) — It seems as if the Baltimore Orioles have been playing short-handed all season, so there wasn’t a great deal of concern when it came time to face the Texas Rangers without Manny Machado.

With Machado starting a five-game suspension on Monday night, Steve Pearce hit two of the Orioles’ four home runs off Joe Saunders and Baltimore got an outstanding pitching performance from Ubaldo Jimenez in a 7-1 victory.

During a season in which the Orioles have been forced to play extended stretches without injured starters Machado, Chris Davis, Matt Wieters and J.J. Hardy, Pearce has been as valuable as anyone on the team. Earlier this year, he stepped in for Davis. On this night, he played first base while Davis moved to third to cover for Machado, who was suspended for throwing his bat in a June 8 game against Oakland.

“When you lose somebody like that, you’ve got to find a way to do it,” Pearce said. “Davis was out there and did a great job. He might be doing that for the next couple days, so it’s definitely good to see guys step up.”

Pearce put Baltimore ahead to stay with a two-run drive in the first inning and connected with a man on in the fourth. It was his first two-homer game during a career that began in 2007.

Pearce was designated for assignment by Baltimore earlier this season, but returned after Davis got injured. He leads the team with a .327 batting average and has contributed nine homers and 25 RBIs.

“He had options to go somewhere else,” manager Buck Showalter said. “He wanted to play for the Baltimore Orioles and be here, and that meant a lot to us.”

Adam Jones and Hardy also homered for the Orioles, who hit a major league-leading 46 long balls in June. The four home runs provided Baltimore with a 6-0 lead in the fourth inning against Saunders, who came in 7-0 lifetime against the Orioles.

It was the first time Saunders yielded four homers in a game since June 30, 2009.

“The first home run to Pearce was a bad pitch, the other three were decent pitches,” he said. “I have to get the ball down and get more groundballs, for sure.”

Jimenez (3-8) allowed one run, none earned, and four hits with seven strikeouts in eight innings. The right-hander walked only one after issuing 30 free passes in his previous seven starts.

Signed to a four-year, $50 million contract in February, Jimenez was 0-4 in nine starts since May 8 and 0-6 with a 6.28 ERA in eight starts this season at Camden Yards.

This start, however, was a pleasure.

“It feels good, finally, to get the first win at home and finally being there for the team,” Jimenez said. “I know it’s been really tough for me in the first half, but I have a lot of confidence, a lot of faith, that things are going to change.”

Saunders (0-5) can only hope for a change, too. After giving up seven runs and nine hits in five innings, the left-hander is 0-8 over 12 starts since beating Houston last August.

“You try to handle it the best you can,” he said. “You try to turn it around and turn the page real quick.”

The Rangers’ 10th loss in 12 games left them 9-17 in June. Texas has dropped six straight on the road, its longest skid since an 0-6 streak in August 2010.

Baltimore pounced on Saunders immediately. Nick Markakis drew a leadoff walk and Pearce followed with a drive to left. After Saunders got the first out, Jones hit a shot into the left-field seats.

One inning later, Hardy made it 4-0 with his second home run of the season. The shortstop hit 25 last year.

It was 6-0 before Texas got a run in the fifth on a throwing error by Davis, who was playing third base for the first time since 2011. Davis drew Pearce off first base with a hurried throw while Leonys Martin scored from third with two outs.

Caleb Joseph delivered a sacrifice fly in the bottom half.

NOTES: The Rangers sent RHP Cory Burns to Tampa Bay on a waiver claim to make room for INF Adam Rosales, who was recalled from Triple-A Round Rock. … Nick Martinez, who’s winless in his last six starts, starts for Texas on Tuesday night against T.J. McFarland, whose previous 14 appearances this season have been in relief. … Baltimore selected the contract of RHP Ramon Ramirez from Triple-A Norfolk and optioned reliever Evan Meek to the same club. Ramirez got the last three outs.

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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