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Minus Mauer, Twins’ bats silent, shut out by KC

By WTOP Staff

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — The Minnesota Twins felt the brunt of Joe Mauer’s injury on Wednesday as the bats fell silent in their second shutout loss in five games.

Jason Vargas only allowed two runners in a diluted Twins lineup to reach second base as the Kansas City Royals won 4-0.

Vargas allowed four singles and two walks while striking out five in seven scoreless innings.

“We didn’t get that many runners on to begin with,” Twins second baseman Brian Dozier said. “We’ve got to hit and we’re not doing it. We’re streaky in all aspects right now.”

Mauer was put on the disabled list before the game because of a strained muscle on the star’s right side.

The Twins didn’t give Vargas (8-3) any trouble. They were shut out for the sixth time this season and lost for the seventh time in their last nine games.

Mike Moustakas and Jarrod Dyson hit RBI singles in the second inning against Kevin Correia (4-10), and that was all Vargas needed. Relievers Wade Davis and Greg Holland worked the last two innings.

“Pitching in general, all three of their guys came in, pitched well and shut us down,” Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said. “Vargas is tough on us. Faced him a couple times here now, he’s got all the pitches.”

Mauer had just began climbing out of his hitting slump this season and was batting .371 in his previous nine games before his injury knocked him out of the Twins’ 10-2 win over the Royals on Tuesday.

“We hit the ball well last night, everything fell into place,” Dozier said. “But it was vice versa today. Tip your hat to Vargas, he did a good job.”

Minnesota’s double-digit runs proved to be an anomaly as they were without their top hitters on Wednesday. Shortstop Danny Santana, hitting a team-high .328 this season, is on the DL and catcher Kurt Suzuki, batting .304, was given the day off after Tuesday’s game.

Eduardo Nunez, the only other Twins player batting above .300 right now, was placed at the top of the order on Wednesday, but went 0 for 4 as the Twins mustered just four hits on the day. Nunez homered among his three hits in Tuesday’s win.

Chris Parmelee filled in for Mauer at first base and got two hits.

The Twins got a quality outing from Correia, who allowed just two earned runs in six innings.

Correia now leads the American League in losses, though he lowered his ERA to 4.95, the only time he’s had that mark under 5.00 since his first start of the year. The right-hander completed exactly six innings for the fifth consecutive turn, and he has allowed two runs or fewer in four of those starts.

Correia allowed five batters to reach bases in the second inning, but he escaped with just two earned runs after striking out Billy Butler with the bases loaded.

“That’s the way baseball is,” Correia said. “I’ve gone out there and pitched terribly and gotten wins and pitched great and got losses, it’s just the nature of the game.”

Eric Hosmer, who walked three times, added an RBI single in the ninth inning for insurance.

Vargas improved to 4-1 in his last eight starts. He also became the first Royals left-hander to win at least eight games before the All-Star break since Chris George in 2003.

NOTES: Parmelee stretched his hitting streak to a career-long 12 straight games. … One of the runners to reach second base for the Twins was Sam Fuld, who was originally ruled out on a steal attempt to end the fifth inning. Gardenhire challenged the call, which was overturned. Gardenhire is 9 for 19 on challenges this season.

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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