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Indians fall to Mariners 5-2

By WTOP Staff

TOM WITHERS
AP Sports Writer

CLEVELAND (AP) — With the trade deadline looming, the Indians aren’t sure if they’re buyers or sellers. Winners or losers.

In an uneven season, they’re not sure which way to go.

Trevor Bauer didn’t get through the fifth inning and the Indians failed to get back to .500 on Tuesday night with a 5-2 loss to the Seattle Mariners.

Bauer (4-6) was touched for four runs in the fourth inning and the Indians trailed 5-0 before getting an RBI single by Yan Gomes and Jason Kipnis’ run-scoring groundout in the fifth.

Cleveland couldn’t get much going against Mariners starter Hisashi Iwakuma (9-5), and the Indians didn’t have any luck either as several hard-hit balls were caught and David Murphy’s apparent homer in the seventh was ruled a double.

It was that kind of night.

It’s been that kind of year.

“We’re really not that different from last year,” manager Terry Francona said before the game. “We started the second half off last year with a horrendous road trip, and everybody wrote us off and we bounced back. You’ve got to play the games. We get to .500, slip back, get to .500, slip back.

“At some point, we need to get to .500 and kick it into gear. That’s harder to do than it is to say.”

The Indians are 5-7 since the All-Star break, and with August quickly approaching, time is running short.

“We need to put that run together,” Francona said.

The Mariners, who came in with the fewest runs scored in the AL, took a 4-0 lead in the fourth when they hit three doubles — all of them hard hits — off Bauer.

“I think I was just behind too much,” Bauer said. “When you don’t get ahead they take good swings.”

Mike Zunino’s 16th homer gave the Mariners a 5-0 lead in the fifth and chased Bauer, who had gone at least six innings in each of his previous four starts.

MURPHY’S LAW

With the Indians trailing 5-2, Murphy hit a towering fly to right in the seventh that appeared to clear the wall. Umpires ruled it a double and the call stood up following a crew-chief challenge.

After looking at a replay, Murphy thought he homered.

“I felt like it hit right on top of the yellow line,” he said. “You always want a call like that to go your way. They call it a game of inches for a reason. You hate walking away from a game with a what-might-have-been feeling.”

RUMOR MILL

With trade rumors rampant, Cleveland starter Justin Masterson, in the final year of his contract, isn’t surprised his name has been mentioned in more than a few deals.

“It’s just default,” said Masterson, acquired at the deadline in 2009 from Boston in the trade for Victor Martinez. “Anyone who is about to be a free agent has their name thrown in there.”

Masterson feels the Indians are still in position to make a playoff push.

“We like what we have,” said Masterson, who will return from the DL and pitch Friday. “If I can come back and be three-quarters of what I was before that, I can almost be like a free agent coming in.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Indians: As center fielder Michael Bourn rehabs his surgically repaired left hamstring, Francona is trying to let the speedster recover at his own pace. Bourn has been on the disabled list since July 6, and it’s not yet known when he will go on a rehab assignment or be activated. Bourn took batting practice before Tuesday’s game.

ON DECK:

Two of the AL’s top pitchers match up in the second game of the series when Seattle’s Felix Hernandez takes on Cleveland’s Corey Kluber. Hernandez (11-2) has allowed two runs or less and pitched at least seven innings in 13 consecutive starts, an AL record. King Felix, though, is just 7-5 in his career against the Indians, with all five losses coming in Cleveland.

Kluber (10-6) carried a perfect game into the seventh inning of his previous start.

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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