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Martinez is silver lining in Rangers’ 5-3 loss

By WTOP Staff

PAUL LADEWSKI
Associated Press

CHICAGO (AP) — It has been difficult to find a silver lining for the Texas Rangers as they struggle through more than a month of losing. Manager Ron Washington discovered one in a rain-shortened 5-3 loss to the Chicago White Sox on Monday night.

Tyler Flowers homered and drove in three runs and rookie sensation Jose Abreu had two hits and two RBIs, as the Rangers lost for the 34th time in their last 42 games.

Monday night’s game was called in the bottom of the seventh inning following a 57-minute rain delay.

Nonetheless, Washington was encouraged by the performance of starting pitcher Nick Martinez, who lost his seventh consecutive decision. The rookie right-hander allowed five runs in five innings but showed flashes in the second and the fourth, when he retired the side in order.

“He’s got stuff, man,” Washington said. “He’s just got to learn how to use it. He’s got to learn how to minimize damage. When he learns how to take that deep breath, buckle down and minimize damage, he’s going to move forward.”

Martinez (1-8) didn’t disagree with his manager’s assessment.

“I did a good job of mixing my pitches and throwing them for strikes,” said Martinez, who allowed eight hits and three walks. “I was concentrating on not letting them score and trying to make the perfect pitch rather than attacking the hitter, but the small steps forward were going back out there and having quick innings.”

Flowers went 3 for 3 and lifted his batting average to .500 (7 of 14) against the Rangers this season. He scored two runs as the White Sox snapped a two-game losing streak.

Rougned Odor had a two-run homer for Texas, which has lost four straight.

Abreu, who has 86 RBIs, went 2 for 3 on a day when he named the American League’s player and rookie of the month for July. The Cuban slugger also won both awards in April and is the only rookie to win the player of the month award twice.

Hector Noesi (6-8) bounced back from a rough outing at Detroit in his last start — six runs in six innings — to allow one earned run and four hits in seven innings.

The Rangers scored in the first inning on Adrian Beltre’s RBI single and stretched the lead to 3-0 on the two-run homer by Odor in the second. Both runs in the second were unearned because of Noesi’s error on a grounder to first by catcher Robinson Chirinos. He dropped the throw from Abreu that would have been the third out.

The White Sox pulled within a run on a two-run single by Abreu in the third inning and tied it in the fifth on a leadoff homer by Flowers.

In the sixth, with the rain starting to fall, Dayan Viciedo led off with a single and Conor Gillaspie followed with a double to knock out Martinez. With the infield playing in, right-hander Nate Adcock came on to strike out Gordon Beckham and Alejandro De Aza, but Flowers came through with a two-out single to drive in both runs for a 5-3 Chicago lead.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Rangers: Catcher Geovany Soto (strained groin) is expected to be activated for the series with the Houston Astros starting on Friday.

White Sox: De Aza left the game after the sixth inning with a bruised left knee after fouling a pitch off his leg. Right-hander Zach Putnam (shoulder inflammation) is expected to be activated from the 15-day disabled when he’s eligible to come off on Friday. Putnam has a 3-2 record with three saves and a 2.35 ERA and is one of the few bright spots in the bullpen this season.

“He’s throwing tomorrow, so he should be available when his time’s up,” manager Robin Ventura said.

ON DECK

Right-hander Colby Lewis (7-8, 5.98) faces left-hander John Danks (9-6, 4.50) in the second game of the three-game set on Tuesday.

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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