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Norris, Vogt homer as A’s beat Twins 12th in a row

By WTOP Staff

JANIE McCAULEY
AP Baseball Writer

OAKLAND, Calif. (AP) — There’s nothing like a couple of timely home runs to get a stagnant offense back on track.

Derek Norris hit a three-run homer, Stephen Vogt added a two-run shot, and the Oakland Athletics won their 12th straight against the Minnesota Twins with a 9-4 victory Saturday night.

“We’ve been getting progressively better offensively the last few days,” manager Bob Melvin said. “The homers help. We’ve been a little shy with those recently. That cures a lot of ills when you’re scoring two and three runs off one swing of the bat.”

Jeff Samardzija (3-1) improved to 3-0 at home since coming to the AL West-leading A’s in a trade from the Cubs on July 4. He followed winning lefties Jon Lester and Scott Kazmir, who kept Minnesota in check over the first two games of the series, with six tough innings that forced him to throw 109 pitches.

Vogt hit his second clout in three games in the fifth following a long funk. Norris connected for his 10th home run the next inning.

“When runners get on base that’s the time when you make your money,” he said. “My power may not be able to compete with (Josh) Donaldson, (Brandon) Moss and guys like that, but I like to think when I do it’s meaningful and it’s not a solo home run when we’re up 8-0.”

Oakland drew seven walks in two innings to chase Trevor May (0-1) quickly from his forgettable major league debut.

May threw 11 balls among his first 19 pitches and received a mound visit from pitching coach Rick Anderson after issuing a bases-loaded walk to Norris. But left fielder Josh Willingham fielded Josh Reddick’s shallow fly and threw home for a nifty double play to save May further damage in a 21-pitch first.

Anderson was out again after May’s three two-out walks loaded the bases in the second. Donaldson followed with a two-run single.

May, winless in his last three outings for Triple-A Rochester, walked seven while throwing 63 pitches on a cool night when the 6-foot-5 right-hander’s parents traveled from Southwest Washington to be in the stands. The last Twins pitcher to walk seven was Francisco Liriano on Aug. 9, 2011, against Boston.

Long man Samuel Deduno relieved and gave up both home runs.

Samardzija allowed seven hits and two runs, struck out five and walked two as the A’s earned their first three-game winning streak since six straight victories July 3-8.

Oakland’s bullpen extended its scoreless innings streak to 29 2-3 innings before Jordan Schafer’s eighth-inning RBI double off Dan Otero. The A’s relievers set the mark Friday night at 28 2-3.

POSTGAME TRADE

The Twins traded right-hander Kevin Correia to the Dodgers for a player to be named or cash. Minnesota will call up ex-A’s lefty Tommy Milone to start Monday in Houston. Milone was dealt to the Twins at the July 31 deadline for outfielder Sam Fuld.

“We are really excited to get him. We didn’t want to give up Sammy Fuld,” manager Ron Gardenhire said. “We got a nice pitcher out of the deal, a guy that knows how to pitch in the big leagues, good track record. We’re going to get him up here. … We’ve made a spot now, and he’s going to get the ball.”

LA RUSSA’S FIRST PITCH

Newly enshrined Hall of Famer Tony La Russa threw out the ceremonial first pitch to Twins bench coach Terry Steinbach on a night La Russa’s bobblehead was the giveaway and a banner in his honor was unfurled in left field. He is the last manager to lead the A’s to a World Series (1990) and championship (’89).

GOVERNOR’S VISIT

New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie attended the game while on vacation with family, sporting a green A’s cap during his latest ballpark stop. He sat behind the A’s dugout.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Twins: After a three-hit performance in nine innings Friday night, first baseman Joe Mauer added two more hits as he again tested his strained right oblique muscle on a rehab assignment with Class-A Cedar Rapids. He is likely to rejoin the Twins on Monday to begin a series at Houston. “Everything seems to be good,” Gardenhire said. “We’re hoping Houston.”

Athletics: Second baseman Nick Punto is still working through stiffness in his right hamstring that he strained Aug. 2. He is not close to resuming baseball activities and won’t make the trip to Kansas City and Atlanta.

ON DECK

Twins: RHP Phil Hughes (11-8, 4.01 ERA), who snapped a three-game losing streak his last time out, faces the A’s for the 12th time in his career and second this season in the series finale.

Athletics: RHP Jason Hammel (1-4, 7.15) tries to make it two straight wins after losing each of his first four starts following a July 4 trade from the Cubs.

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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