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Perez homers in debut, Indians beat Yankees 9-3

By WTOP Staff

CLEVELAND (AP) — Roberto Perez knows how to make a good first impression.

Called up from the minors Tuesday, Perez hit a two-run homer in his major league debut to help spark a late rally and lead the Cleveland Indians to a 9-3 win over the New York Yankees on Thursday night.

“I still can’t believe it,” he said. “It was so awesome to be out there.”

The Indians scored nine runs in the last two innings. Asdrubal Cabrera’s bases-loaded triple and Michael Brantley’s sacrifice fly highlighted a four-run seventh that erased a 3-0 deficit.

Brantley, a first-time All-Star this season, added an RBI single in a five-run eighth, when Perez and Carlos Santana homered.

Carlos Carrasco (2-3) pitched a scoreless seventh to help the Indians gain a four-game split.

The 25-year-old Perez, called up from Triple-A Columbus to be Cleveland’s backup catcher, singled in the seventh for his first major league hit. His drive to left field in the eighth was originally ruled a double, but the call was changed to a home run after a replay review.

“That was nice,” Indians manager Terry Francona. “You just have to take a minute to enjoy that.”

Left fielder Chris Dickerson, acquired from Pittsburgh on Monday, was 3 for 4 and enjoyed Perez’s home run.

“It’s cool being around a kid getting his first major league home run,” Dickerson said. “I said to him ‘Could you hit a more dramatic homer?’ “

Perez was batting .305 with eight homers and 43 RBIs in 53 games when he got the call to the majors.

“I wasn’t nervous going into the game, but I was anxious,” he said. “I just tried to put the ball in play.”

Perez overcame an obstacle during the game when he broke all of his bats.

“I didn’t have any left and Cabrera gave me his,” Perez said. “It’s a lighter one that I normally use, but the ball went out. I’m going to ask him for some more.”

Yankees starter David Phelps took a shutout into the seventh before Dickerson and Perez singled. Jason Kipnis singled off the glove of reliever Matt Thornton (0-3) to load the bases.

Cabrera hit the next pitch into the right-field corner, scoring all three runners and tying the game.

Brantley hit a liner to center field, where Jacoby Ellsbury made a diving catch, but Cabrera tagged up and scored the go-ahead run.

Dickerson is hitting .467 (7 for 15) in four games.

“It’s one thing to come in and get settled on a new team, but to come in and start contributing right away, that’s a big deal,” he said. “I’ve been in this position before so I know it’s important to relax and not try to do too much.”

Cleveland starter T.J. House allowed three runs in 4 2-3 innings, including Zelous Wheeler’s two-run homer in the fourth.

Carrasco, Vinnie Pestano, Kyle Crockett, Scott Atchison and Nick Hagadone combined to pitch 4 1-3 scoreless innings.

Derek Jeter, playing his final regular-season game in Cleveland, went 2 for 4 in the 1,000th multihit game of his career.

Ichiro Suzuki had a pinch-hit single in the eighth for his 2,800th major league hit.

NOTES: The Indians presented Jeter with an electric guitar before the game. The white guitar with blue Yankees pinstripes was inscribed with Jeter’s No. 2 and the words, “The Captain.” … Carlos Beltran was placed on the seven-day concussion list before the game. He broke his nose when he was hit in the face by a ball that caromed off the batting cage Wednesday. … The Yankees are 5-3 on an 11-game road trip that takes them to Baltimore this weekend for three games before the All-Star break. RHP Hiroki Kuroda (6-6) faces Orioles RHP Miguel Gonzalez (4-5) on Friday night. … Yangervis Solarte, who was called up when Beltran was hurt, played third base and had an RBI single in the fifth. … Cleveland begins a three-game series at home against the White Sox on Friday night. RHP Corey Kluber (8-6) faces Chicago RHP Hector Noesi (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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