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Yankees nearly shut out again, slowed by Indians

By WTOP Staff

BEN WALKER
AP Baseball Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — An hour after the final out, a pair of birds pecked for seeds in dead center field at Yankee Stadium and then seemed to settle into the lush grass for a nap.

Not like the New York hitters would’ve disturbed them much during the game, either.

The Yankees’ season-worst scoreless streak reached 19 innings Sunday before Jacoby Ellsbury ended it with a two-out home run in the ninth, their lone highlight in a 4-1 loss to the Cleveland Indians.

A day after Cleveland pitchers combined on a five-hit shutout and struck out 15 Yankees, Carlos Carrasco (4-4) and four relievers threw another five-hitter.

Why the sudden slump?

“Not really sure,” manager Joe Girardi said.

“We just didn’t swing the bats great today,” he said. “There are days that are just like that. You’ve been in the game long enough, you learn it’s going to happen and you deal with it.”

Ellsbury’s shot off Indians closer Cody Allen let the Yankees avoid a dubious distinction — not since 1999 had they been blanked in two straight games, STATS said.

“Hopefully we can go out and string some good at-bats together and take some pressure off the pitchers,” Yankees hitting coach Kevin Long said.

Jason Kipnis got three hits and scored three runs as the Indians finished 4-3 against their fellow AL wild-card contender — only twice in the last 22 years has Cleveland taken the season matchup.

Carrasco allowed just two singles in five shutout innings. He walked none, struck out four and retired his last 11 batters.

Pitching in place of the recently demoted Danny Salazar, Carrasco made his first start since being banished to the bullpen in late April.

Carrasco had gone 0-12 in 17 starts since 2011, and missed the 2012 season while recovering from Tommy John surgery.

Cleveland evened its record at 59-59 by taking advantage of a surprisingly shaky Hiroki Kuroda (7-8). Normally one of baseball’s best control pitchers, he walked a season-high four, hit a batter and threw a wild pitch.

Kuroda issued his first bases-loaded walk since he was a major league rookie in 2008, STATS said. Gomes drew that walk for a 3-0 lead in the fifth and added an RBI single in the seventh.

“He just wasn’t sharp with his split today and he battled,” Girardi said.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Indians: OF David Murphy (oblique) and DH-1B Nick Swisher (knee) went on the 15-day disabled list and OF Tyler Holt and INF-OF Zach Walters were promoted from Triple-A Columbus. Walters, acquired July 31 in the trade that sent shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera to Washington, started in left field in his Cleveland debut. Walters went 0 for 3 with a walk.

Yankees: 1B Mark Teixeira returned to the lineup after missing three straight games because of an injured left pinkie. He went 1 for 4.

UP NEXT

Indians: In a scheduling quirk, Cleveland gets three off-days in the next eight days. The Indians host Arizona starting Tuesday night, with LHP T.J. House (1-3, 4.13) facing Diamondbacks RHP Josh Collmenter (8-6, 4.09).

Yankees: LHP Chris Capuano (1-2, 3.91) starts Monday night at Camden Yards as New York begins a six-game trip to AL East-leading Baltimore and division rival Tampa Bay. Capuano has pitched well since being acquired from Colorado last month, yet is winless in his last nine starts overall.

SPEEDING ALONG

Ellsbury stole his 30th base, swiping second without a throw after a single in the Yankees first. He led the majors with 52 steals last year for Boston, and is a three-time AL stolen base champ.

SHOPPING SPREE

Walters had a signed Derek Jeter jersey hanging in his locker after the game. Walters walked nine blocks — “those blocks are really long here,” he said — on Saturday night to buy the souvenir at a store, then got it autographed Sunday by the Yankees star he called “an idol.”

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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