Skip to main content

Doolittle gives up grand slam in 9th, A’s lose

By WTOP Staff

DETROIT (AP) — The Oakland Athletics had never given up a grand slam when leading by three runs in the bottom of the ninth inning — that is until Monday night.

Rajai Davis connected with one out in the ninth, lifting the Detroit Tigers to a 5-4 victory over the A’s.

“That’s a tough loss,” Oakland manager Bob Melvin said. “You have to get all 27 outs. We’ve come back and won games like that, and now we’ve lost one.”

Melvin gave the ball to closer Sean Doolittle with a three-run lead, but he only managed one out.

Nick Castellanos and Alex Avila started the inning with singles. Eugenio Suarez struck out, but Doolittle (2-2) walked Austin Jackson — just the second walk he has issued this season — to load the bases. Jackson fouled off three straight 2-2 pitches before taking a pair of fastballs inside.

“That was a hell of a battle,” Doolittle said. “You could really see him shorten up his swing with two strikes, and he did a real good job.”

Doolittle missed the strike zone with a curveball, then hung another one over the middle of the plate.

“I just hung the crap out of it,” he said. “I threw some good pitches, but I threw some bad ones, and the last one cost us the game.”

Davis didn’t miss, hitting the ball out down the left-field line for his third career grand slam and his first game-ending homer.

“That was amazing,” he said. “Austin had a great at-bat, and then I got a pitch that was middle or middle-in. It didn’t do much. I wasn’t sure if I got enough it — I was just hoping the wind would blow it out.”

Scott Kazmir left the game in the sixth, one pitch after appearing to grab at his hip, but Dan Otero replaced him and kept the game tied through seven innings.

“My calf just cramped up,” Kazmir said. “I was OK until I tried to push off.”

Cespedes also cramped up — his left hamstring — and Melvin said he didn’t expect him to play on Tuesday.

Oakland broke a 1-1 tie in the eighth, helped by a Tigers defensive mistake. Yoenis Cespedes led off with a routine grounder to short, but Suarez’s throw sailed well over Cabrera’s head at first. Brandon Moss followed with an RBI into the left-center field gap, and Sanchez walked Josh Donaldson.

Joba Chamberlain came in and allowed a single to Stephen Vogt, loading the bases. Jed Lowrie made it 4-1 with a single to left, but Phil Coke replaced Chamberlain and almost got out of the inning as quickly as possible.

Castellanos grabbed Alberto Callaspo’s grounder, stepped on third and threw to Ian Kinsler at second for a double play. Kinsler relayed the ball to first, hoping for a 5-4-3 triple play, but Callaspo beat the throw.

Detroit’s rally took Anibal Sanchez off the hook — he now hasn’t lost in his last 10 starts. Blaine Hardy (1-0) picked up his first career victory with a scoreless top of the ninth.

Sanchez, who struck out his 1,000th career batter in the fourth, lost his shutout in the sixth on Lowrie’s RBI single, but Miguel Cabrera tied the game in the bottom of the inning, crushing a 2-2 changeup into the Oakland bullpen beyond the left-centerfield fence.

NOTES: Tigers DH Victor Martinez was a late scratch because of a sore side, and was replaced by J.D. Martinez. … The Athletics have only allowed three game-ending grand slams since World War II, with two coming against Detroit. The first for the Tigers was in 1983, when Lance Parrish hit one off Jeff Jones, who is now Detroit’s pitching coach.

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
Read Next Story

Related News

Frustration grows in Venezuela as earthquake death toll reaches 1,430

Israel and Lebanon sign framework agreement with US in ‘first step’ toward peace, Rubio says

Trump-endorsed populist poised to become Colombia’s next president as rival challenges vote