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McAllister, Indians fall to White Sox 6-2

By WTOP Staff

CLEVELAND (AP) — Zach McAllister didn’t pitch poorly in his first big league appearance since May 21. He also didn’t pitch well enough to end his long victory drought.

All-Star first baseman Jose Abreu hit his major league-leading 29th home run, a two-run shot in the fourth inning, as the Chicago White Sox beat the Cleveland Indians 6-2 on Saturday.

Chicago only managed four hits off McAllister (3-5) in seven innings, but scored three times to keep him winless since April 21. The right-hander is 0-5 with an 8.22 ERA over his last seven starts, bridging a one-month stay on the disabled list with a sore back and a demotion to Triple-A Columbus.

“I was extremely happy with the way I pitched, but it obviously would have been a lot better if we had got the win,” said McAllister, who had a 5-0 record and 2.23 ERA with the Clippers.

“I felt like I got in a good groove, but made a couple of mistakes to Abreu and (Adam) Dunn. Those two big swings really hurt me, but that also shows I was in a pretty good place because it was only one or two mistakes, not a lot of them,” he said.

McAllister tossed three perfect innings before allowing a leadoff walk to Alexei Ramirez in the fourth. Abreu hit the next pitch into the White Sox bullpen, and Dunn had an RBI double in the sixth to extend Chicago’s lead to 3-0.

“Zach came out real aggressive and was pretty effective today, which is what we wanted to see from him,” Cleveland manager Terry Francona said. “He left a breaking ball over to Abreu, and Dunn also got a hold of one, but I thought he was OK.”

Jason Kipnis drew a bases-loaded walk off White Sox reliever Zach Putnam in the seventh. All-Star outfielder Michael Brantley hit a solo homer in the eighth off Eric Surkamp to pull the Indians within 3-2. It was Brantley’s career-high 15th home run and extended his hitting streak to nine games.

Francona allowed right-hander Austin Adams, called up from the minors Friday, to make his major league debut to start the ninth. He only recorded one out and allowed three runs.

“I didn’t want Austin to go to next week without pitching, but it kind of didn’t work very well,” Francona said.

White Sox right-hander Scott Carroll (4-5) pitched five scoreless frames before exiting with a stiff lower back. The rookie hasn’t allowed an earned run against the Indians in 14 innings, but has a 5.27 ERA against the rest of baseball.

“Carroll was keeping the ball down, doing a good job pitching the whole way,” Brantley said. “Zach did a real good job for us, too, but we didn’t do our part. As an offense, we’ve got to pick him up. That’s our responsibility.”

The Indians moved designated hitter Jason Giambi (sore left knee) to the 60-day disabled list following the game. Giambi, batting .128 with two homers and five RBIs in 15 games, had been on the 15-day DL since June 12.

Before the game, Francona said Giambi will “definitely” play again this season. Giambi fractured a rib in spring training and began the season on the DL. He was activated April 21, but a strained call landed him on the DL again on May 5.

The move was made after Cleveland acquired lefty Nick Maronde in a minor league trade with the Angels and added him to the 40-man roster.

NOTES: The Indians optioned RHP Vinnie Pestano to Triple-A Columbus in order to make room for McAllister on their 25-man roster. Pestano went 0-1 with a 5.00 ERA in 13 appearances. … Indians OF Chris Dickerson (left hamstring tightness) was a late scratch from the lineup. Mike Aviles took his spot in left field, going 1 for 4. … C Yan Gomes hit a line drive in the seventh was originally called a catch, but was overturned to a single after Francona challenged the ruling. Francona is 11 for 21 on replay challenges this season. … Browns QB Brian Hoyer, a Cleveland native, threw out the ceremonial first pitch. … Indians RHP Trevor Bauer (3-4) takes on White Sox LHP John Danks (8-6) in the three-game series finale Sunday.

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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