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Royals win 6th straight, 5-0 over Giants

By WTOP Staff

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — James Shields turned and gave a salute after striking out Pablo Sandoval to end his four-hitter, the Kansas City Royals’ sixth straight victory, 5-0 over San Francisco Giants on Saturday night.

“I was just saluting the bullpen, man,” Shields said. “They’ve done a phenomenal job for us, saving our behinds all year long. It’s nice to give them a day off. It just a nice little salute to the bullpen, tell them to take a day.”

Alex Gordon homered for the Royals, who have won nine of 10 to move with 1 1-2 games of AL Central-leading Detroit. The Royals, who have not made the playoffs since beating St. Louis in the 1985 World Series, are in second place in the AL wild card standings.

Shields (11-6) gave up three singles in the first four innings. He allowed only two Giants to reach second base. He walked Joe Panik in the fifth and he moved to second on a wild pitch with two outs, but was stranded. Panik doubled in the eighth.

“He’s got good stuff,” said Buster Posey, who went 0 for 4 and struck out once against Shields. “That’s about it. He’s been good for a while.”

It was Shields’ ninth career shutout, his first since Sept. 9, 2012.

Tim Hudson (8-9) gave up the home run to Gordon to lead off the fifth inning on Nebraska Night at Kauffman Stadium. Gordon is a Lincoln, Nebraska native and was the college player of the year in 2005 as a junior with the Cornhuskers. Was it a coincidence Gordon homered on Nebraska Night?

“I go deep all the time. What are you talking about?” Gordon deadpanned before laughing. “It was a good crowd. It just energized all the players. It added excitement and energy. There was a lot of (Nebraska) red tonight, so that was good to see.”

Hudson yielded three straight hits to start the four-run seventh and was replaced by Jeremy Affeldt. The inning included Mike Moustakas’ run-producing double while Lorenzo Cain, Alcides Escobar and Jarrod Dyson had RBI-singles.

Hudson was charged with three runs and six hits in six-plus innings. Affeldt, who had held the opposition scoreless in his previous 13 outings, faced four batters and gave up two runs and three hits.

“They’re playing very well,” Giants manager Bruce Bochy said of the Royals. “When you play good teams you have to play your best ball. Last night we let it get away. Tonight we just ran into a well-pitched game.”

TRAINING ROOM

Giants: Catcher Hector Sanchez, who went on the concussion list July 26, suffered a setback Friday when he left a rehab game with Triple-A Fresno after taking a hard shot off the mask. “He’ll have to get some tests,” Bochy said. “There’s some concern there.” Bochy said it might be necessary for Sanchez to change masks, abandoning the hockey mask.

Royals: First baseman Eric Hosmer remains sidelined with a broken right hand.

ON DECK

Giants: Tim Lincecum has faced the Royals only once in his career: in 2008 when he allowed five runs in five innings in a no-decision that the Giants lost 11-10.

Royals: Danny Duffy is holding left-handed hitters to a .146 average this season and opponents to a .189 average at Kauffman Stadium.

GO DANNY GO

The Royals were watching the Toronto Blue Jays’ victory over Detroit in the clubhouse before their game Saturday. Ex-Royal Danny Valencia scored the winning run from first base on a double in the 10th inning. “Go Danny go,” Dyson shouted as Valencia rounded third.

MISTER AUGUST

Shields is 13-3 with a 2.49 ERA in August since 2011. The 13 August victories in that span matches Zack Grienke for the most in the majors.

SLUMPING GIANTS

The Giants are 20-34 in their past 54 games, the third-lowest winning percentage in the majors. They were a major league-best 42-21 on June 9 with a 9 1-2 game lead in the NL West.

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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