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White Sox waste chances in 4-3 loss to Red Sox

By WTOP Staff

HOWARD ULMAN
AP Sports Writer

BOSTON (AP) — Chicago’s Jose Quintana started with five perfect innings. Conor Gillaspie hit a tying two-run homer in the ninth. The White Sox held the Red Sox to three hits.

Somehow, Boston still won 4-3 in 10 innings on Thursday.

“We had plenty of guys on base to knock in and we didn’t do it,” Chicago manager Robin Ventura said. “We had opportunities.”

One of them came in the 10th when the White Sox had runners at first and second with one out. But the next two batters grounded out against Andrew Miller (3-5).

“They did better than we did at taking advantage of guys that were on base,” Ventura said.

Boston drew two walks and David Ortiz hit a two-run double in the sixth when it scored three runs to take a 3-1 lead.

In the 10th, pinch-hitter Daniel Nava walked, Mookie Betts sacrificed him to second and Stephen Drew was walked intentionally. Then Mike Carp, hitting for David Ross, singled between shortstop and third base against Ronald Belisario (3-6) to give Boston its second consecutive walk-off win over Chicago.

In Boston’s 5-4 comeback victory Wednesday night, Nava doubled in Betts for the tying run in the ninth and scored on Brock Holt’s single.

Quintana “pitched a heck of a game,” Chicago’s Adam Eaton said Thursday. “Conor coming in, pinch-hit home run. He’s been hotter than all get-out lately.”

Carp spent more than a month on the disabled list with a fractured right foot. He watched the Red Sox struggle, knowing he could contribute.

Sometimes, he couldn’t bear to look.

“Some of the nights, I almost had to turn the TV off in those situations because you can’t be there to help,” he said. “It’s tough being on the DL with a boot on my foot.”

The Red Sox, the defending World Series champions who are in last place in the AL East, ended their 3-7 homestand on a roll and head to Houston for a three-game series with a chance to build momentum going into the All-Star break.

“Hopefully it’ll get us in a little bit of a rhythm, comfort level,” said lefthander Jon Lester, who allowed one run and struck out 12 in seven innings.

Lester gave up seven hits and no walks. In his last six starts, he’s 3-0 with a 1.01 ERA, 39 strikeouts, six walks and 33 hits allowed in 44 2-3 innings. He extended his streak to 45 innings without giving up a homer.

But fellow All-Star Koji Uehara allowed Gillaspie’s tying pinch-hit homer — his third long ball in three games and fourth of the season.

Alexei Ramirez led off the ninth on Thursday with an infield single — after first base umpire Cory Blaser’s out call was reversed on replay. Uehara then struck out Paul Konerko before Gillaspie, batting for Moises Sierra, homered.

Lester trailed 1-0 after three batters. Eaton singled, Gordon Beckham struck out and Jose Abreu hit an RBI double over a leaping Jonny Gomes in left field. Lester then struck out Dayan Viciedo.

Lester fanned two batters in each of the first five innings and one each in the sixth and seventh before being replaced by Junichi Tazawa, who pitched a perfect eighth.

Boston went ahead in the sixth when the first three batters reached base on full counts.

“I really wanted to win this game because (Lester’s) a really good pitcher,” said Quintana, whose scoreless streak ended at 20 2-3 innings, “but I had one bad inning in the sixth.”

Drew became Boston’s first runner with a walk and went to second on a walk to Ross. Jackie Bradley Jr. attempted to bunt on the first four pitches, then took a ball to bring the count to 3-2. He grounded a single to right field for Boston’s first hit, driving in Drew with the tying run.

The next two batters were retired before Ortiz’s double.

NOTES: Chicago lost its second straight game after winning its previous three. … Boston scored in just five innings during the four-game series. … Chicago LHP Chris Sale won the online fan vote for the final spot on the AL All-Star team, his third straight selection. “No matter, I think, how many you make, you still get excited about it,” he said. … The Red Sox send John Lackey (9-6) to the mound against Scott Feldman (4-5) in the opener of a three-game series at Houston on Friday night. The White Sox begin a three-game series at Cleveland with Hector Noesi (3-6) pitching against Corey Kluber (8-6) of the Indians.

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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