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Royals mauled by Tigers 16-4 in series opener

By WTOP Staff

DAVE SKRETTA
AP Sports Writer

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Perhaps the Royals should lobby to play all their games against Detroit on the road.

For the fourth straight time, the Tigers waltzed into Kauffman Stadium and made themselves feel right at home. They piled up 19 hits, set a season high for runs and rolled to a 16-4 win Thursday night that extended their AL Central lead to 5 1/2 games over Kansas City.

Everybody in Detroit’s lineup had at least one hit and scored one run to support Drew Smyly (5-8), who allowed four runs on eight hits and a walk in 6 2-3 innings. That included two players who entered the game midway through so that the Tigers could rest some of their stars.

“We didn’t pitch good tonight. That’s the bottom line,” Royals manager Ned Yost said. “That’s why they scored 16 runs. We didn’t pitch good and we fell out of the game early.”

That’s generally been the case against Detroit at home. The Tigers have outscored the Royals by a combined 42-12 at the K, while the teams have split their six meetings at Comerica Park.

“They pounded us at our place,” Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said. “It evens out. Those guys are professional players. They’ll come in tomorrow and not worry about what happened today.”

Jeremy Guthrie (5-8) gave up a career-worst eight earned runs on eight hits, three walks and two hit batters. He was mercifully pulled with no outs in the fifth, which means the Royals’ veteran has allowed 16 earned runs in eight-plus innings covering his last two starts.

The Tigers stunned the Royals with three runs in the first, added three more in the fourth and delivered the haymaker with a season-best eight-run fifth that churned through three pitchers.

“I’d rather lose 2-1 and look back on one bad pitch,” Guthrie said, “instead of 20.”

Torii Hunter led the charge for Detroit, leading off the fifth with a homer and adding a single later in the inning to finish with three RBIs. Miguel Cabrera and J.D. Martinez also drove in three, and Ian Kinsler, Nick Castellanos and Eugenio Suarez drove in two runs apiece.

Billy Butler homered in the fourth for KC. Eric Hosmer hit a two-run shot in the seventh.

“Losing is never easy. Anytime, it’s not fun,” Butler said. “Obviously that game took a long time. It felt like they were hitting the whole time.”

The tone of the game was set in the first inning, when four of the first five Tigers reached base. A series of singles, groundouts and sacrifice flies resulted in a 3-0 lead.

“It gives you a little less pep for the game when it starts out like that,” Guthrie said.

Kansas City scratched out a run in the second, only for Detroit to score three more in the fourth. Cabrera delivered the big blow with a two-out, two-run double.

The floodgates finally opened in the fifth, when Hunter began a parade of 12 batters to the plate with his 12th homer of the season. Castellanos also had two hits in the inning, and everybody in the lineup besides Austin Jackson and Don Kelly reached base before the carnage was over.

Guthrie was pulled after two batters, and recently signed Royals reliever Scott Downs gave up two more runs while retiring one batter. Louis Coleman, recalled from Triple-A Omaha, gave up four more runs to cap the worst pitching performance by the Royals this season.

Kansas City had previously allowed 12 runs in a loss to Toronto on May 31.

“It’s not a big series. It’s just another series. It was no statement,” Hunter said. “It’s a good win because it’s in the division, but we weren’t trying to send a statement.”

Even if they sent one anyway.

“We’ll just throw it away and move on,” Yost said. “We’ll just let it go.”

NOTES: Coleman took the roster place of LHP Jason Vargas (appendectomy), who was placed on the DL retroactive to Wednesday. … Royals LF Alex Gordon (right wrist sprain) will miss the All-Star game. He was replaced on the AL roster by Angels SS Erick Aybar. … Tigers DH Victor Martinez (back strain) remained out of the lineup. Ausmus declined to say whether he might play in the series. … Detroit RHP Anibal Sanchez faces Kansas City LHP Danny Duffy on Friday night.

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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