Skip to main content

Wild Webster sinks Red Sox in 6-4 loss to Yankees

By WTOP Staff

MIKE CRANSTON
Associated Press

BOSTON (AP) — With four-fifths of Boston’s starting rotation from the beginning of the season traded away, the Red Sox intend to use the final two months of the season to take long looks at their youngsters.

The downside of that strategy was on display Saturday.

Staked to an early three-run lead, Allen Webster imploded, walking five batters in a four-run third inning as the New York Yankees rallied for a 6-4 victory to spoil slugger Yoenis Cespedes’ Boston debut.

“It was clear he lost command of the strike zone,” Red Sox manager John Farrell said. “And while there’s plenty of stuff in terms of fastball action, swing and miss to his changeup, the ability to make adjustment whether pitch to pitch or hitter to hitter was elusive.”

In his fifth career major league start — and his first at Fenway Park — Webster (1-1) said he lost his release point. He walked the bases loaded to start the third before Derek Jeter’s two-run bloop double to right.

Jacoby Ellsbury and Carlos Beltran drove in runs sprinkled between two more walks before Farrell lifted the right-hander.

Webster threw only 39 of 71 pitches for strikes, giving up four runs and six walks.

“It’s real tough,” the 24-year-old said.

Welcome to the second half of the Red Sox season, with tough lessons for all.

“There’s a drastic difference between here and Triple-A,” Farrell said.

Cespedes declared through an interpreter, “I like it here,” after receiving loud cheers as he stepped into the batter’s box to lead off the second inning. It was two days after he was acquired from Oakland for ace Jon Lester in a flurry of moves.

Cespedes went after a low, off-speed pitch and pulled it into left field for a single in his first at-bat. But he finished 1 for 4, including a pop out against hard-throwing right-hander Dellin Betances with a runner on second to end the seventh.

Cespedes played left field, although the Red Sox plan to move him to right after he gets more practice time at Fenway Park.

“I haven’t really played much right field,” Cespedes said. “But in my opinion, good outfielders should pride themselves on being able to play all three positions and that’s what I’m going to do.”

Mike Napoli’s two-run home run to left off starter Shane Greene helped Boston take a 3-0 lead in the second. But reliever Shawn Kelley (2-3) struck out Napoli with two on to end the fifth and the only other Boston run came on David Ortiz’s sacrifice fly in the seventh.

New York’s Mark Teixeira led off the fifth with a home run off Craig Breslow. And to make the day sting a bit more, Stephen Drew hit an RBI double off Alex Wilson in the seventh.

Drew was hitting .176 for Boston when he was traded to the Yankees on Thursday.

BRADLEY’S GLOVE

Jackie Bradley Jr. entered the day tied with his new teammate, Cespedes, for the AL lead with 12 outfield assists.

Bradley took over the top spot when he doubled Jeter off first base on a fly ball to end the first.

It was Bradley’s eighth double play of the season, the most by a Boston outfielder since Dwight Evans had eight in 1975. The last Red Sox center fielder with eight double plays was Nemo Leibold in 1921.

TWITTER TALES

Joe Kelly said he found out he was traded to Boston from St. Louis on Twitter.

“I was definitely shocked and surprised,” Kelly said. “But I found out it was Boston and figured it was one great baseball town to another. I’m definitely looking forward to it.”

Acquired in the John Lackey deal, Kelly will start against his former team in his Red Sox debut Tuesday.

“It’s definitely going to be a little weird,” he said.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Yankees: Right-hander Michael Pineda is scheduled to throw around 65 pitches Sunday in a rehab outing at Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. … Beltran hasn’t played in the field since July 5 due to a bone spur in his right elbow, and the acquisition of Martin Prado at the deadline means he will likely stay at DH indefinitely.

Red Sox: Catcher David Ross was placed on the 15-day disabled list with plantar fasciitis in his right foot. … Farrell said outfielder Shane Victorino, on the 15-day DL with a strained lower back, is expected to see an orthopedic surgeon in Los Angeles early this week. … Infielder Kelly Johnson is expected to play two rehab games later this week.

ON DECK

Yankees: Right-hander David Phelps (5-5, 3.89 ERA) is coming off his worst start in over a month when he faces Boston in the series finale Sunday night.

Red Sox: Right-hander Clay Buchholz (5-7, 5.87 ERA) looks to rebound from consecutive losses after giving up 11 runs over 11 innings.

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
Read Next Story

Related News

Frustration grows in Venezuela as earthquake death toll reaches 1,430

Israel and Lebanon sign framework agreement with US in ‘first step’ toward peace, Rubio says

Trump-endorsed populist poised to become Colombia’s next president as rival challenges vote