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Gardner, Yankees snap skid with 12-11 win at Texas

By WTOP Staff

STEPHEN HAWKINS
AP Sports Writer

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Brett Gardner got things started for the New York Yankees with a leadoff home run, then had three more hits after that.

Despite all that and Mark Teixeira’s two-run homer in his return to the starting lineup, the Yankees sweated it out until the very end before Gardner caught a flyball near the warning track in left field with the bases loaded for a 12-11 victory at Texas and overcome a seven-RBI game by J.P. Arencibia on Tuesday night.

“It was a strange game, but it was great to get out of here with a win,” manager Joe Girardi said. “It would have been a bad one to lose.”

The Yankees never trailed after Gardner reached base twice in a seven-run sixth inning. They led 10-4 before Arencibia, already with two doubles and a solo homer, hit a grand slam in the seventh.

Texas scored twice off closer David Robertson, the fifth Yankees pitcher, and still had the bases loaded in the ninth after Elvis Andrus had a two-run single. Adrian Beltre hit a towering flyball that finally ended the game after 3 hours, 51 minutes.

“It was about as bad as you can suck and still get one of the better hitters in the game out and not lose the ballgame,” said Robertson, who got his 27th save in 29 chances.

“If you look into that sixth inning, I don’t think there were many people that thought we had a chance,” manager Ron Washington said. “But we never quit, and we was one swing away with the right guy at the plate.”

Arencibia struck out to start the ninth, but still was the first Texas player with four extra-base hits since Josh Hamilton’s four-homer game at Baltimore on May 8, 2012. The last player in the majors with at least seven RBIs in a loss was Jonathan Lucroy in 2012, when Milwaukee fell to the Cubs, STATS said.

“Not enough,” Arencibia said when asked to describe his game.

Brandon McCarthy (3-0) went six innings for the Yankees, who have won all four of his starts since getting the big right-hander in a trade from Arizona on July 6.

Teixeira, in his first start in nine games after a back strain, homered in the eighth to make it 12-8. He also walked three times and scored two other runs.

Gardner, who went deep twice Monday off Yu Darvish, led off against rookie Nick Martinez (1-7) with his 13th homer. He added his second double to start the sixth and scored the first run in that rally.

“He was hitting the ball hard before but getting outs,” Girardi said. “Now he’s hitting it out and hitting it down the lines.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Yankees: RHP Michael Pineda (shoulder), out since early May, threw 45 pitches in a bullpen session and is set to start an injury rehab assignment Sunday. Infielder Kelly Johnson (strained left groin) is expected to be ready to play when eligible to come off the DL on Aug. 7.

Rangers: Nick Tepesch pulled himself out of his last start Saturday night because of left knee soreness, and now Texas will skip his next turn in the rotation Friday as a precaution. Jerome Williams starts Friday at Cleveland.

ON DECK

Yankees RHP Hiroki Kuroda, 2-2 with a 2.08 ERA in five career starts against Texas, pitches against Colby Lewis in the rubber game of the three-game set. The Rangers will try to end a string of seven consecutive series losses since taking two of three against Minnesota on June 27-29, also the last time they won consecutive games.

GREAT GLOVE

Gardner had a running, sliding catch on a ball that Shin-Soo Choo sliced into the left field corner leading off the third.

I GOT IT — NOT

The final run in the Yankees sixth scored after Gardner’s flyball into the right-center field ended up a three-base error. Right fielder Alex Rios was calling for the ball when he reached for it, but closed his glove too soon. The ball ricocheted off the back of his glove and then off the head of center fielder Leonys Martin, who was also in pursuit. Martin said he never heard Rios calling for it.

JETER JUSTICE

Derek Jeter was initially called out in the sixth after his chopper that was deflected by Martinez and led to a barehanded grab and throw by shortstop Andrus. Girardi challenged, and replay showed that Jeter was safe for his second hit of the game and 3,422 of his career.

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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