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Twins shut down by Royals in 6-1 loss

By WTOP Staff

JON KRAWCZYNSKI
AP Sports Writer

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — An exasperated Ron Gardenhire lamented another game of missed chances for the Twins.

What’s looking like another mid-summer swoon is wearing on Minnesota and its long-time skipper.

Alcides Escobar tied a career high with four RBIs on two doubles and Salvador Perez homered for the Kansas City Royals in a 6-1 victory Monday night to send the Twins to their sixth loss in seven games.

“Really frustrating, that’s all I can say,” Minnesota outfielder Chris Parmelee said.

Danny Duffy (5-7) gave up one run and four hits while striking out three in 5 2-3 innings for Kansas City (43-39), which has won three of four and is off to its best start since 2003.

But even when the Twins had Duffy and four Royals relievers in trouble, Minnesota couldn’t capitalize like too many times recently.

Eduardo Nunez had two hits and an RBI in his return from the disabled list for the Twins. But following his RBI single in the fifth inning, Minnesota was 0 for 11 with runners in scoring position. The Twins twice had two runners aboard and no outs and failed to score, and stranded 11 base runners in all.

“They’re taking some big swings,” Gardenhire said of his club. “We’ve been facing some pretty decent pitching, and I don’t know if it’s pressing. I just know we’re just not getting enough big hits right now. We’re not putting any runs on the board. A lot of pressure on our pitchers to be really good.”

Yohan Pino (0-2) gave up four runs and seven hits while also striking out three in 5 2-3 innings for the Twins.

Pino was a revelation in his first start for Minnesota as a 30 year old making his major-league debut. But he allowed five runs in three innings in a loss on the road last week and didn’t appear as if he’d last much longer this time around.

Escobar drove in two with an RBI double in the second, but Pino did settle down before allowing the homer to Perez in the sixth.

“I want to finish that inning,” Pino said. “I left it on the plate to Perez and I get hit. That’s the game.”

The Royals took advantage of two throwing errors by second baseman Brian Dozier in the eighth, padding their lead with Escobar’s second two-run double of the game.

“When you’re not going good, you’re not capitalizing on mistakes,” Kansas City manager Ned Yost said. “When you’re playing well, you do capitalize on mistakes. That’s exactly what we did tonight, which was big. Those were two big runs right there. That’s a lot of breathing room.”

Minnesota had won four games in a row at home before leaving for a tough road trip in which it was swept by the Los Angeles Angels and lost the first two games at Texas. A win on Sunday with a clutch ninth-inning double by Kendrys Morales was the hope for improvement coming home.

But the Twins dropped their first home game since June 8 and have fallen to last place in the AL Central during the recent stretch.

“Nobody’s out here to lose,” said Parmelee, who extended his hitting streak to 10 games with two hits. “So we got to figure out something to get those runs in.”

NOTES: Twins GM Terry Ryan said prized prospect Byron Buxton is getting close to returning from a wrist injury that has kept him out for most of the season. Ryan said there still is no timetable for a return, but he’d be surprised if Buxton wasn’t back on the field sometime in July. … Kurt Suzuki had two hits for the Twins. … Moustakas made two stellar plays at 3B, a lunging catch on a liner by Morales in the second and a scoop and force out at 3B to end a threat in the seventh. … Twins RHP Ricky Nolasco (4-6, 5.74) will start the second game of the series against RHP James Shields (8-3, 3.79).

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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