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Vazquez has 3 RBIs to help Red Sox over Astros 8-3

By WTOP Staff

KRISTIE RIEKEN
AP Sports Writer

HOUSTON (AP) — The most recent addition to the Red Sox lineup made a big contribution.

Rookie Christian Vazquez got his first three major league hits and drove in three runs, while David Ortiz had three RBIs to break open the game in the sixth inning and lead Boston over the Houston Astros 8-3.

Vazquez, who was playing in his second big league game, singled in the third inning, had an RBI double in the fourth and drove home two more with a double in a five-run sixth. Fellow rookie Brock Holt doubled and tripled with an RBI and another rookie, Jackie Bradley Jr., added two hits for Boston.

“We’re playing with a lot of energy,” manager John Farrell said. “Guys that have come up recently have injected some of that into us, but more than anything we’re getting the timely hit.”

Vazquez was thrilled about his big night and shared the first thing he thought of after collecting his first hit.

“My mom,” he said. “I was laughing and very happy about that.”

Ortiz drove in three runs with a double in the sixth to make it 8-1.

“The thing that stood out was the number of extra-base hits that (have) been somewhat elusive,” Farrell said. “David with a big bases-loaded RBI double, Christian Vazquez with a very solid night all the way around … just a good offensive showing.”

John Lackey (10-6) rebounded from a tough stretch to allow four hits and two runs with a season-high five walks in six innings. He had allowed five or more runs in each of his previous three starts.

Scott Feldman (4-6) allowed seven runs and tied a season-high with 11 hits in 5 1-3 innings.

“It just looks like there is not a lot of finish,” Houston manager Bo Porter said. “When he was really good early on in the year, there was finish to the fastball, there was late life, there was sharpness to the breaking ball.”

Houston’s Chris Carter homered twice for his fourth multihomer game of the season and his second this week. He extended his hitting streak to a career-high seven games.

Daniel Nava and Bradley got things going for the Red Sox in the sixth with consecutive singles. Feldman intentionally walked Stephen Drew to load the bases with one out. Vazquez’s double made it 5-1 and chased Feldman.

He was replaced by Darin Downs, who walked Holt to load the bases again. Ortiz’s bases-clearing double to right-center came next.

Holt’s RBI triple, which bounced off the bullpen in right-center and away from L.J. Hoes, gave Boston a 1-0 lead in the third.

Dustin Pedroia followed with a double to the corner of left field to make it 2-0.

Drew tripled with two outs in the fourth inning before scoring on a ground-rule double by Vazquez to push the lead to 3-0.

Lackey walked two batters through the first three innings and two more in the fourth before Houston got its first hit on an RBI single by Enrique Hernandez that cut the lead to 3-1 with two outs.

Carter’s 18th home run landed in the first row in the Crawford Boxes in left field to cut the lead to 8-2 in the sixth. He’s the first Astro to have at least 18 homers in the first half of the season in consecutive years since Lance Berkman in 2008-09.

Soon after Carter returned to the dugout following his homer, and as the Astros were still celebrating, a foul ball hit by Robbie Grossman sailed into the dugout and came within inches of hitting Carter in the face. He dropped to the ground after it flew by as his teammates shook their heads at the close call.

“I just heard ‘heads up’ (and) it came right at my head,” he said. “I moved, and it hit the wall.”

He homered again on his next at-bat, launching a 91 mph fastball to left field, where it clanged off the foul pole to make it 8-3 in the eighth and give him six homers in his last seven games.

NOTES: Astros OF George Springer was scratched about an hour before the game with discomfort in his right knee. He is listed as day to day. … Houston LHP Brett Oberholtzer will be recalled from Triple-A Oklahoma City to start on Saturday against Jake Peavy. He will start in place of Collin McHugh, who is dealing with a finger blister.

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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