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Plouffe, Twins end 3-game skid, stop Abreu, Chisox

By WTOP Staff

JOHN JACKSON
Associated Press

CHICAGO (AP) — Trevor Plouffe is certain that even though his Minnesota Twins are stuck in last place in the AL Central, they’ve stayed mentally tough.

That’s why the third baseman wasn’t surprised to see his team rally an inning after losing a late lead and beat the Chicago White Sox 8-6 Saturday night.

“We’ve kind of been resilient all year,” Plouffe said. “We’ll take the blow and get back up and start fighting again.”

Plouffe got four hits and the Twins stopped Jose Abreu, rallying to end a three-game skid.

Abreu’s hitting streak ended at 21 games, longest in the AL this season. He went 0 for 3 with two walks, one of them intentional. The Cuban rookie, who leads the majors with 31 home runs, had reached base in 10 straight plate appearances before he popped up in the first inning.

“Thank God,” Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said when asked about the hitting streak.

“We pitched around him a couple times in situations. You know what, the guy is a great hitter and when a guy is swinging the bat as good as he’s swinging and you’ve got to pitch around him a little bit, you’ve got to try to get him to chase.”

Plouffe doubled twice, drove in two runs and started the three-run eighth-inning rally with a one-out single. Oswaldo Arcia was credited with a two-run double in the eighth, giving the Twins a 7-6 lead, when his liner glanced off the glove of left fielder Alejandro De Aza.

Adam Eaton hit three doubles and a single for Chicago, but was thrown out at second by left fielder Eduardo Nunez trying to stretch a single to end the bottom of the eighth.

“It was stupid. Stupid. Stupid on my part,” Eaton said. “I need to pick up the ball better. I saw it go off his glove and kind of thought it bounced a different direction. I thought it went toward more the warning track. That’s ignorant on my part. That’s stupid, unbelievable how dumb that was.”

Ryan Pressly (1-0) won and Glen Perkins pitched the ninth for his 27th save in 30 chances.

Ronald Belisario (4-8) took the loss.

In the opener of the series Friday, Chicago scored four runs in the eighth for a 10-8 win. This time, the Twins got three in the eighth and Danny Santana added a solo homer in the ninth.

Alexei Ramirez homered for the White Sox.

Chicago took a 6-4 lead in the seventh with four runs. Eaton hit a two-run double, Gordon Beckham had an RBI double and Ramirez singled home a run.

Kurt Suzuki hit a single off Belisario in the eighth, and the White Sox then brought in closer Jake Petricka with runners on first and second. After a groundout, Arcia hit a liner that got De Aza turned around.

CAN’T WATCH

White Sox manager Robin Ventura is one of the few people who really knows what Paul George is going through right now. The Indiana Pacers forward broke his lower left leg in a gruesome accident Friday when his foot hit the basket stanchion and his leg snapped.

Ventura suffered his own awful injury in 1997 when he broke and dislocated his right ankle on a slide into home plate.

“I haven’t seen it,” Ventura said. “I don’t … I’m not going watch it. I don’t need to watch any of that. You feel sorry for him. It’s a freak accident, but I don’t want to see it. I’ve had enough.”

ON DECK

In the finale of the three-game series Sunday, Minnesota starts right-hander Kyle Gibson (9-8, 3.94) vs. left-hander Jose Quintana (6-7, 3.15).

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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