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Murphy, Salazar lead Indians past Rangers, 12-2

By WTOP Staff

CLEVELAND (AP) — David Murphy had a big night against his former team.

Murphy was 4 for 4 with two RBIs and threw a runner out at the plate, and the Cleveland Indians routed the Texas Rangers 12-2.

Murphy played for Texas from 2007-13 before signing a two-year contract with the Indians in November.

“Obviously when you’re playing against your friends, a lot of guys I played with over there are gone, but playing for bragging rights, it can be fun,” he said.

Murphy had a two-run double in the fifth when Cleveland scored six times. He doubled in the second and added singles in the fourth and sixth. Murphy also threw out Adrian Beltre at home from right field in the second.

“That was fun because it was Adrian and I did play with him,” Murphy said. “I can talk a little trash with him.”

Murphy even played through an attempt to make a diving catch on a foul ball in the eighth inning that tore his pants.

“I’ve been known to go through some pairs of pants,” he said. “They’re double-layered, but I still go through them. I’ve done it plenty of times.”

Danny Salazar (4-4) allowed an unearned run in six innings and won his third straight start since being recalled from the minors last month. The right-hander was moved into Friday’s start to replace Justin Masterson, who was traded to St. Louis on Wednesday.

“I feel like I’m making progress every time I go out there,” Salazar said.

Mike Aviles, who will be getting time at shortstop after Asdrubal Cabrera was dealt to Washington on Thursday, drove in three runs. Michael Brantley also had three hits and two RBIs as the Indians finished with 16 hits. Lonnie Chisenhall hit a solo homer in the sixth to help the Indians get their fourth win in 12 games.

“We haven’t had many games like that,” said Indians manager Terry Francona. “We’ve had so many close games. It’s nice to have some breathing room.”

Jerome Williams (2-5) was charged with 10 runs in four-plus innings.

The Rangers, starting a nine-game road trip, have lost 17 of 20 away from home.

Rougned Odor’s groundout in the fifth scored Texas’ run off Salazar.

The Indians have won nine of 10 against Texas.

ROTATION WOES

The Indians have been making changes in their rotation all season, a trend that continued Friday when they designated right-hander Zach McAllister for assignment. McAllister will be sent to the minors once he clears waivers, but it’s unclear when he’ll return to the Indians. Right-hander Josh Tomlin, sent down last week, will likely start Tuesday against Cincinnati.

HONORS TIME

The Indians will unveil a statue of slugger Jim Thome, who hit a franchise-record 337 home runs while playing for Cleveland, before Saturday night’s game. Thome, who played for the Indians from 1991-2002 and again in 2011, was a key member of the teams that played in front of 455 consecutive sellout crowds in the 1990s.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Rangers: Catcher Geovany Soto began an injury rehabilitation assignment Friday for Triple-A Round Rock. He was placed on the 15-day disabled list on July 22 after straining his right groin. Soto appeared in three games for the Rangers after being activated from a season-long DL stint on July 17 following right knee surgery.

Indians: Left fielder Chris Dickerson was out of the lineup Friday with a sore left knee. He was injured when he awkwardly attempted to catch a ball that fell for a double Thursday. While Dickerson isn’t expected to miss much time, the Indians recalled outfielder Tyler Holt from Triple-A Columbus.

UP NEXT

Rangers right-hander Miles Mikolas will make his sixth career start Saturday. He’s 1-3 with an 8.54 ERA and opponents are batting .315 against him. Left-hander T.J. House will be called up from Triple-A Columbus to make his 10th career start. House, who is 1-2 with a 4.50 ERA, has already been with the Indians three times this season.

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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