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Kluber, Swisher lead Indians past White Sox 7-4

By WTOP Staff

CLEVELAND (AP) — Nick Swisher is ready for LeBron James’ return to Cleveland.

“I almost felt like I should take some powder and throw it up in the air,” he said, referring to James’ signature pregame ritual, after hitting a tiebreaking two-run homer in the fifth inning of Cleveland’s 7-4 win over the Chicago White Sox on Friday night.

Before Swisher’s home run, the biggest cheer from the crowd of 24,652 came when the Indians put a message on the scoreboard welcoming home James, who announced he was returning to the Cleveland Cavaliers. Chants of “LBJ” were heard later in the game.

Corey Kluber (9-6) allowed four runs in six innings while David Murphy also homered for Cleveland, his first since May 21.

The win moved the Indians back to .500 (46-46) for the first time since June 20.

“It’s hot in the 216 right now, for sure,” Swisher said in reference to Cleveland’s area code. “There’s a lot of excitement.”

Kluber, left off the AL All-Star team despite a strong first half, wasn’t his usual dominant self but pitched well enough to win. The right-hander has won three of his last four decisions.

“I think Klubes is a really good pitcher,” manager Terry Francona said. “You’re not going to have your best command every night, but he still stayed out there for six and gave us a chance to win.”

“When you have 30-some starts, there are going to be times when it’s a struggle to get through it,” Kluber said. “You have to keep your team in the game. The important thing is we got a win.”

Cody Allen struck out the side in the ninth for his 11th save.

Swisher’s homer off Hector Noesi (3-7) to center field broke a 4-4 tie.

Adam Dunn hit a leadoff homer in the fifth for Chicago, which has lost three straight. The White Sox took the lead on three different occasions, but the Indians responded to tie or go ahead each time in their next at-bat.

“If you’re going to be down, that’s important,” Francona said.

The Indians were helped by an overturned call on a replay in the fifth. Asdrubal Cabrera was originally called out trying to steal second, but Francona challenged the call, and Cabrera was ruled safe after a review.

“That was obviously a huge call for us,” Francona said.

Lonnie Chisenhall’s single tied it before Swisher homered to center.

Francona and a trainer visited Kluber in the fourth after he slipped backing up the plate, but he remained in the game. Kluber struck out five, walked two and gave up eight hits.

Kluber was among the players in an online vote for the final spot on the All-Star team. The Indians’ massive marketing campaign for Kluber fell short, but he enters the break with a 3.01 ERA and is fourth in the AL with 142 strikeouts.

“Kluber’s offense bailed him out tonight,” Chicago manager Robin Ventura said. “It looked good for us against him, but he ended up outlasting Hector and getting the win. Give the Indians credit, they made it happen for him.”

Adrian Nieto’s RBI double and Leury Garcia’s run-scoring grounder in the second put Chicago in front. Murphy’s two-run homer tied it in the bottom of the inning.

Adam Eaton’s RBI double in the fourth made it 3-2, but the Indians quickly tied it when Chris Dickerson drew a bases-loaded walk.

Kluber retired the first batter in the second, but the next three reached base. Conor Gillaspie doubled, took third on a single and scored on Nieto’s double to left. Garcia’s grounder made it 2-0.

Swisher singled with one out in the second, and Murphy homered to right,

Eaton’s double to left-center scored Garcia from first base in the fourth. Dunn homered to dead center field, the 454th shot of his career.

Noesi allowed six runs in 4 2-3 innings.

White Sox All-Star Jose Abreu, who leads the majors with 28 homers, was 1 for 4 with a third-inning single.

Carlos Santana had an RBI double in the seventh for Cleveland.

Cleveland’s bullpen pitched three scoreless innings, with John Axford working the seventh and Bryan Shaw pitching the eighth.

NOTES: Allen has converted 10 consecutive save opportunities. … White Sox 2B Gordon Beckham, 1 for 30 in his last seven games, was given the night off. … Cleveland optioned LHP T.J. House to the minors and called up RHP Austin Adams, a reliever. House will make a start at Single-A Mahoning Valley next week and be recalled following the All-Star break. … The White Sox signed LHP Carlos Rodon, the No. 3 pick in the draft. … RHP Zach McAllister (3-4) will be recalled from Triple-A Columbus by the Indians to start Saturday against RHP Scott Carroll (3-5).

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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