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Kansas City struggles once more against Jon Lester

By WTOP Staff

JANIE McCAULEY
AP Baseball Writer

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — Jason Vargas dueled with Jon Lester through four impressive innings untouched. Then, everything imploded in a matter of pitches.

And it was over.

Vargas came off the disabled list to make his first start since undergoing an appendectomy July 9, getting knocked out in that decisive fifth inning of an 8-3 loss to the Oakland Athletics on Saturday.

After the first 12 A’s batters were retired in order, the next 12 produced eight hits and eight runs.

“I left some balls up, we didn’t play defense and that’s what happens — unraveled,” said Vargas (8-5). “As a whole we weren’t very good in the fifth inning. That’s what it comes down to. I wanted to get through the fifth a lot better than we did, but we didn’t.”

Lester worked into the seventh inning to win his A’s debut and Jonny Gomes produced two timely hits in the fifth, two days after they were traded by the last-place, reigning World Series champion Boston Red Sox.

Pitching on seven days’ rest after being scratched Wednesday ahead of the trade deadline, Lester improved to 8-3 with a 2.20 ERA in 12 career starts against the Royals. He hasn’t lost in nine starts overall since June 7 at Detroit.

“Jonny Lester is one of the best pitchers in the American League,” Royals manager Ned Yost said. “He takes you deep in games every time he pitches. He goes out there and gives you a chance to win it every time he pitches.”

Still, Kansas City has a chance at a series win in Sunday’s finale after a 1-0 victory Friday. Yet the Royals must face their third double-digit winner in three days.

Vargas’ return meant more than the result.

“It was tough not to have him in the rotation for a couple starts,” left fielder Alex Gordon said. “To see him come back and not rusty at all was good to see. He just had that one big inning. But we really didn’t help him that much defensively either. It was just a tough inning.”

The 6-foot-4 Lester (11-7) instantly became an imposing presence on the mound in the pitcher-friendly Coliseum. Fans in the crowd of 30,097 cheered as he went through his warmup routine in left field, then Lester tipped his cap to a roaring ovation when he left after throwing 6 2-3 innings and 104 pitches.

He would have rather finished the inning, but appreciated the gesture.

“To walk off to the ovation was great,” Lester said. “It kind of makes you feel welcome.”

Back with the AL West-leading A’s, Gomes delivered in an eight-run fifth inning. He singled and scored off Vargas, then hit a hit a two-run single off Aaron Crow.

REPLAY REVIEW: In the fourth, the umpires went to replay to determine whether A’s catcher Derek Norris improperly blocked the plate when he tagged a sliding Gordon. The out call was confirmed, with newly acquired center fielder Sam Fuld’s throw resulting in a sensational double play.

“It was a close play. I thought I had made a good slide,” Gordon said. “Obviously he tagged me a little bit before I got to the plate. Sam Fuld made a great throw.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Royals: First baseman Eric Hosmer was put on the 15-day disabled with a stress fracture of the third finger on his right hand. He was injured Thursday and is expected to miss 3 to 6 weeks.

Athletics: Second baseman Nick Punto strained his right hamstring and will go on the DL.

ON DECK

Kansas City right-hander James Shields (9-6, 3.50 ERA) makes his team-leading 24th start in the series finale Sunday. A’s lefty Scott Kazmir (12-3, 2.37) looks to improve to 4-0 in a six-start stretch. He has allowed two or fewer runs in his past five outings.

PROMOTION

The A’s went ahead with their planned promotion, passing out 10,000 Yoenis Cespedes T-shirts reading “La Potencia” — it pays tribute to his power. The two-time Home Run Derby champ was traded to Boston in the big swap.

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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