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Gomes’ homer gives Indians 3-2 win

By WTOP Staff

CLEVELAND (AP) — Yan Gomes made sure the Indians went into the All-Star break on a positive note.

Gomes drove in all three runs, including a go-ahead two-run homer in the eighth inning, and Cleveland rallied for a 3-2 win over the Chicago White Sox on Sunday.

Gomes’ blast to right off Javy Guerra (0-2) came after the White Sox scored two runs in top of the inning to take a 2-1 lead.

Nick Swisher led off with a single before Gomes, who also had an RBI single in the second, hit a 1-1 pitch into Chicago’s bullpen.

Gomes, who threw his arms in the air as he rounded first base after his 12th homer of the season, wasn’t trying to do anything dramatic.

“I was just trying to do the same thing Swish did, and just get a hit,” he said. “I definitely wasn’t thinking about doing hitting a home run.”

“I’m thrilled for him, because he was a little under the weather today, but he didn’t want to come out of the game,” Indians manager Terry Francona said.

Guerra admitted he didn’t make a good pitch.

“A slider, came out, wasn’t a very good one,” he said. “(Gomes) did what he was supposed to. Broken-bat base hit to left, next guy hits a homer. It’s just bad luck. Bad inning.”

Bryan Shaw (4-1) allowed two runs in the top of the eighth. Cody Allen pitched the ninth for his 12th save, striking out the final two hitters.

Trevor Bauer struck out a career-high 10 in 6 2-3 scoreless innings for Cleveland.

Gordon Beckham’s RBI single tied the game before Leury Garcia’s hit to center put Chicago ahead, but the White Sox couldn’t hold the lead for their fourth loss in five games.

The Indians head into the All-Star break with a 47-47 record.

“I wish our record was better, but in the next two months, if we play good baseball it’s going to be very exciting,” Francona said. “It’s in front of us now and if we can play well, we can climb back into it and play relevant games at the end.”

John Danks allowed one run in seven innings.

The White Sox threatened throughout the game, but didn’t score until the eighth. Conor Gillaspie singled with one out, took second on a wild pitch and scored on Beckham’s single up the middle.

After a groundout, Garcia sent a roller to the right side. Second baseman Jason Kipnis tried to make a backhand stop near the bag, but the ball went under his glove and rolled into center field.

Bauer allowed eight hits and had at least one base runner in every inning, but pitched out of trouble each time. The right-hander was pulled after All-Star Jose Abreu’s two-out single in the seventh, but Marc Rzepczynski retired Adam Dunn.

White Sox All-Star shortstop Alexei Ramirez was out due to a stiff back, but is expected to play in Tuesday’s All-Star game in Minneapolis.

The loss sent Chicago into the break with a 45-51 record.

“We’ve had spurts where we play well, we’ve had spurts where we didn’t play that well, but we’ve had a lot of games that we could have won that we didn’t win,” White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. “You wish you were in a better spot, but you come back and try and clean that stuff up.”

Bauer’s first career outing against Chicago last season didn’t work out well. He allowed five runs while recording only two outs, but the Indians rallied for a 19-10 victory.

Bauer more than made up for that Sunday. His biggest jam came in the sixth. Dayan Viciedo singled and Gillaspie walked to start the inning, but Gordon Beckham struck out. Gomes quickly fielded Tyler Flowers’ tapper in front of the plate and his throw to third forced Vicideo. Bauer ended the inning by striking out Garcia.

Chicago had three hits in the second, but didn’t score. Gillaspie led off with a single, but was doubled off first when Mike Aviles made a strong throw from left field after catching Beckham’s foul fly ball.

Garcia followed with a single, but Alejandro De Aza flied out.

Abreu, who made the All-Star team in his rookie season, was 3 for 5. He goes into the break with a major league-leading 29 homers and is hitting .292.

NOTES: Indians general manager Chris Antonetti expects RHP Justin Masterson (right knee inflammation) to return shortly after the All-Star break. … Indians OF Chris Dickerson (tight left hamstring) missed his second straight game. … White Sox OF Adam Eaton (jammed left wrist) was out for the second straight day. … Bauer will start the Indians’ first game after the break at Detroit on Friday. … Chicago SS Carlos Sanchez made his major debut, replacing Ramirez. He was 0 for 5 with an error. … The White Sox will open play at home against Houston following the break. LHP Carlos Quintana (5-7) will start the first game.

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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