Skip to main content

Buchholz’s 3-hitter leads Red Sox over Astros 11-0

By WTOP Staff

KRISTIE RIEKEN
AP Sports Writer

HOUSTON (AP) — Houston starter Brad Peacock was pulled in the first inning on Sunday after getting just one out.

But he was far from the only Astro to struggle in a lopsided 11-0 loss to the Boston Red Sox.

Peacock couldn’t locate his pitches, forcing Houston to use five relievers to finish the game.

Clay Buchholz allowed three hits and struck out a career-high 12 in his fifth career shutout to lead the Red Sox to their fourth victory in five games heading into the All-Star break.

Brock Holt had a career-best five hits, including a leadoff homer, to pace the Boston offense.

Holt hit Boston’s first leadoff homer of this season. Dustin Pedroia singled before David Ortiz drew a walk. Astros manager Bo Porter had seen enough and pulled Peacock after he plunked Daniel Nava on his 27th pitch.

Porter wanted to make a change before things got out of hand.

“It’s not like he had command of the strike zone,” Porter said. “At that point, you say to yourself, ‘Are you going to wait until it is 4 or 5 to nothing or are you going to try to give us a chance?’ I felt like we had a better chance to get another guy in there at that point.”

The decision didn’t sit well with Peacock.

“I really don’t know why I came out,” he said. “I felt fine. I just had a little control issues there. I didn’t get a chance to talk, but I don’t know.”

All of the hits Buchholz (4-5) allowed were singles, and he didn’t walk a batter in his first shutout since June 2, 2013, against the Yankees.

Chris Carter extended his career-high hitting streak to nine games with a single with one out in the fourth. Buchholz sailed through the rest of the game, retiring his last 17 batters.

“He had it all working,” Porter said of Buchholz. “You look at pinpoint command of his fastball, he threw his curveball anytime he wanted for strikes, mixed in his changeup and did a tremendous job.”

Major league hits leader Jose Altuve went 0 for 4, rookie Jon Singleton extended his slump to 12 at-bats with an 0 for 3 day, and both players had an error.

Holt, who played at Rice, launched a 92 mph fastball from Peacock (3-6) into the seats in right field to give Boston an early lead.

Rookie Christian Vazquez had two hits and two RBIs to help the Red Sox score a season-high 11 runs.

Xander Bogaerts walked to start the second and advanced to second on a passed ball. Stephen Drew’s single sent Bogaerts to third and he scored when Vazquez grounded into a double play to make it 2-0.

Holt and Pedroia then hit back-to-back singles, but Anthony Bass retired Ortiz to limit the damage.

Mike Napoli singled with no outs in the third before Nava reached on an error by first baseman Jon Singleton. An RBI single to center field by Jackie Bradley Jr. pushed the lead to 3-0 before a sacrifice fly by Bogaerts scored another run.

The bases were loaded with two outs in the fifth when Josh Zeid replaced Darin Downs and was greeted with an RBI single by Vazquez. A throwing error by Altuve on the play allowed a second run to score and extend the lead to 6-0.

An error and a single by Drew left runners at the corners with one out in the seventh. The Red Sox made it 7-0 on a sacrifice fly by Vazquez. Holt singled before Pedroia walked, and Ortiz drew a bases loaded walk to push the lead to eight runs.

Boston tacked on three more in the ninth inning.

NOTES: Carter, who is normally the designated hitter, played left field for the first time since last season. That allowed George Springer to be the designated hitter because of soreness in his right knee. … The Astros’ 40 wins at the break are the most they have had in the first half since winning 44 in 2009.

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
Read Next Story

Related News

Frustration grows in Venezuela as earthquake death toll reaches 1,430

Israel and Lebanon sign framework agreement with US in ‘first step’ toward peace, Rubio says

Trump-endorsed populist poised to become Colombia’s next president as rival challenges vote