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Rays’ struggle at home, lose 8-5 to Blue Jays

By WTOP Staff

MARK DIDTLER
Associated Press

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — The Tampa Bay Rays have lost the momentum from an outstanding road trip.

Steve Tolleson’s two-run single snapped a ninth-inning tie and helped the Toronto Blue Jays beat the Rays 8-5 on Friday night.

Tampa Bay returned home Monday after a 9-2 road trip and have proceeded to lose three of four to start a six-game homestand. The latest loss dropped the Rays into last place in the AL East, 10 1/2 games behind Baltimore.

“Another weird game,” Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon said.

Jose Reyes and Jose Bautista also drove in two runs apiece for the Blue Jays, who blew a four-run lead before using a walk and Reyes’ one-out double to set up the go-ahead hit off Grant Balfour (0-3).

“It’s embarrassing, really,” Balfour said. “Go out there and do that. I know I’m a lot better than that. I take the loss on my shoulders.”

Aaron Loup (3-2) pitched 1 1/3 scoreless innings to get the win. Casey Janssen worked a perfect ninth for his 14th save.

The Rays announced after the game that David Price has been scratched from his start Saturday due to illness, but might be able to pitch in Sunday’s series finale against knuckleballer R.A. Dickey.

Toronto’s Mark Buehrle labored five innings in pursuit of his elusive 11th victory, departing with a 5-2 lead that the Blue Jays’ bullpen couldn’t hold.

Buehrle is 0-5 over seven starts since last winning on June 1. He limited the Rays to Evan Longoria’s first-inning sacrifice fly and Ben Zobrist’s fourth-inning RBI single despite yielding nine hits, walking one and working through two jams with the bases loaded in his shortest outing of the season.

“We needed to get on him early,” Maddon said. “We did get baserunners, but did not finish the deal. We really could have put a different tone on the game early.”

Tampa Bay rallied in the seventh against Dustin McGowan, who walked Longoria and James Loney with two outs before giving up a three-run homer to Sean Rodriguez that made it 5-all.

Reyes had a two-run single and Melky Cabrera, Bautista and Munenori Kawasaki also drove in runs for the Blue Jays off Rays starter Chris Archer, who allowed five runs and six hits in five innings.

Bautista added a RBI single in the ninth off Balfour.

The Rays loaded the bases in the first and second innings, but only scored once on Longoria’s sacrifice fly. Buehrle escaped further damage in the first when Loney grounded into an inning-ending double play, then got through the second without allowing a run when Zobrist flied out.

Archer struck out five of the first six batters he faced before running into trouble in the third when Kawasaki, Cabrera and Bautista drove in runs to give Toronto a 3-1 lead. Reyes singled just beyond the reach of Zobrist in right field to drive in two more runs off Archer in the fourth

NOTES: Two Blue Jays left with injuries during the game. RF Nolan Reimold strained his left calf running the bases in the fourth, and Kawasaki was removed because of tightness in his right hamstring in the seventh. Tolleson entered the game as his defensive replacement. … Tampa Bay CF Desmond Jennings was replaced by Kevin Kiermaier after fouling a pitch off his left knee in the second. … Rays SS Yunel Escobar returned to the lineup after missing 15 games because of a sore right shoulder that put him on the disabled list. LHP Jake McGee, meanwhile, was placed on the paternity list following the birth of his daughter. … Toronto put 1B Adam Lind on the 15-day DL list with a broken right foot and recalled INF Dan Johnson from Triple-A Buffalo. Johnson, inserted into the lineup as the designated hitter, drew four walks and scored three runs.

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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