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After slow start, Twins lose 11th straight to A’s

By WTOP Staff

JANIE McCAULEY
AP Baseball Writer

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — For six innings Friday night, the Minnesota Twins managed only one hit and sent the minimum to the plate against Scott Kazmir.

They made things interesting in the seventh once it was all but too late in a 6-5 loss to the Oakland Athletics, Minnesota’s 11th straight in this suddenly lopsided series.

Trevor Plouffe hit an RBI single in the seventh as Minnesota ended a 19-inning scoreless streak and avoided being shut out in consecutive games for the first time this season. Oswaldo Arcia singled in a run and Chris Parmelee’s two-run double chased Kazmir. Ryan Cook entered and immediately gave up Eduardo Nunez’s RBI double.

“We worked some good at-bats off him and that puts pressure on them,” Plouffe said of Kazmir. “We put ourselves in a position of falling behind again.”

Kyle Gibson (10-9) allowed six runs — five earned — and five hits, struck out three and walked a season-high five in five-plus innings while facing the A’s for the first time. He dropped to 4-1 in six starts against the AL West this season.

In Oakland, Minnesota lost for the eighth straight time.

“The guys got playing. We got behind early and had the one bad inning and then we turned that around on them,” manager Ron Gardenhire said. “There were baseballs all over the place and the next thing you know, we’ve scored a couple of runs.”

Coco Crisp hit a bases-loaded triple to help Oakland to its longest unbeaten run against the Twins, whose last victory came at Target Field on Sept. 10, 2013. The A’s are 5-0 this year.

Kazmir (13-4) tossed just eight balls among his first 42 pitches through four perfect innings before Kennys Vargas broke up the bid with a single off shortstop Jed Lowrie’s glove. Yet the A’s turned a spectacular 5-4-3 double play on a grounder by Kurt Suzuki to third two batters later.

Kazmir was dominant deep into the game five days after being handed his first loss in six starts and allowing a season-high 10 hits in a Sunday loss to Kansas City.

He followed fellow southpaw Jon Lester’s three-hit gem in a 3-0 win Thursday with his own impressive outing — until the Twins made it interesting.

“It’s something that kind of pumps you up,” Kazmir said. “I say it all the time, as starters we have a friendly challenge and try to outdo each other.”

Gibson loaded the bases on two walks and a single with no outs in the fifth when Crisp tripled to the wall in right-center. Eric Sogard nearly caught Sam Fuld on the play, crossing home plate a couple of steps later. Sogard doubled in two runs the next inning.

“They were aggressive in the beginning and then they got patient on me and I couldn’t make the adjustment,” Gibson said. “My fastball wasn’t as sharp as it has been but that’s not why I walked guys. It’s embarrassing to pitch five innings and walk that many.”

BULLPEN RECORD

Sean Doolittle retired former A’s slugger Josh Willingham on a called third strike to end it for his 18th save in 21 opportunities. That was moments after Willingham nearly kept a drive inside the left-field foul pole.

The A’s bullpen set an Oakland record with 28 2-3 scoreless innings. The old mark of 27 2-3 was set in June 1998. And Doolittle’s 18 saves are most by an A’s lefty.

“In a few months once the season’s over it will be cool to look back on,” Doolittle said. “Obviously I’m really proud to be in the Oakland record books. We have work left to do this season.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Twins: Third base coach Joe Vavra is away from the team and will soon undergo surgery for a torn labrum in his left hip. He won’t return to the third-base coach’s box this season. “He can sit on the bench,” Gardenhire said. “He’ll be back with us.” … After a workout day Thursday, first baseman Joe Mauer was set to play nine innings for Class-A Cedar Rapids as he works his way back from a strained right oblique muscle.

ON DECK

Twins: Right-hander Trevor May will be promoted from Triple-A Rochester to make his major league debut. After Friday’s game, the Twins optioned utilityman Chris Colabello to Triple-A to clear roster room.

Athletics: Right-hander Jeff Samardzija (2-1, 3.09) makes his seventh start with the A’s since a July 4 trade with the Cubs. He has allowed six homers in that time.

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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