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Astros lose pitchers’ duel 3-1 to Twins

By WTOP Staff

HOUSTON (AP) — Brett Olberholtzer came out on the short end of a pitchers’ duel.

The Astros’ left-hander pitched seven strong innings, allowing six hits and one run on a homer by Joe Mauer, but it wasn’t good enough against Kyle Gibson and the Minnesota Twins beat Houston 3-1 on Wednesday.

“He did a tremendous job, and offensively we didn’t swing the bats. So he ends up being the tough luck loser,” Houston manager Bo Porter said.

Mauer hit a 2-2 pitch into the right field bullpen off Oberholtzer (4-8) to make it 1-0. He extended his hitting streak to 15 games with a first inning single.

“I’d like to have that back,” Oberholtzer said of the pitch Mauer hit out. “Hindsight’s 20-20 but it’s a two-two count and I challenge there with nobody on to start the inning and he made me pay for it.”

Chris Carter’s RBI single in the eighth for the Astros cut the lead to 3-1.

“I felt like I pitched pretty well tonight and gave the team a chance to win,” Oberholtzer said. “We weren’t able to put runs on the board. Gibson did pretty well over there tonight. He had his stuff going.”

The Twins’ right-hander was dominant, allowing six hits and one run in 7 2/3 innings on Wednesday.

Gibson struck out four, walked two and took a shutout into the eighth.

“It’s never too frustrating when you win a game but I definitely wanted it that’s for sure,” Gibson said. “That last inning I knew every pitch was important to keep the pitch count down and be able to go back out there for the ninth.”

Gibson (11-9) was well under 100 pitches going into the inning and nursing a 3-0 lead thanks Mauer and a two-run RBI single in the seventh by Kennys Vargas.

“I was sitting right there with him,” said Twins manager Ron Gardenhire. “I said ‘If he gets through the eighth inning under 100 pitches we let him go back out there and take a shot at it. He’s earned that.’ Unfortunately they got a run on him and we had to get him out of there. I was thinking right along with him. I thought he was in control of the game.”

Glen Perkins pitched a perfect ninth inning to earn his 30th save of the season.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Astros: First baseman Jesus Guzman will begin a rehab assignment Thursday with Triple-A Oklahoma City. Guzman was placed on the 15-day disabled list August 3rd with back spasms.

Twins: Ricky Nolasco is on schedule to make his first start since going on the disabled list July 8th after a second successful rehab outing August 10th. Gardenhire said after the game that right-hander Anthony Swarzak sprained his ankle on the last pitch of Tuesday 10-4 Astros win. The manager said the pitcher is day-to-day.

UP NEXT

Astros: Scott Feldman will look to extend his August win streak to three against Boston Thursday against Red Sox right-hander Allen Webster.

Twins: After two rehab starts, Nolasco is scheduled to come off the disabled list Friday to face Kansas City and will be looking for his third win against the Royals in 2014.

MAUER AND OBERHOLTZER CONTINUE STREAKS

Mauer’s hitting streak is one shy of his career high of 16. Oberholtzer’s streak of quality starts is four.

FOWLER RETURNS TO LINEUP

Dexter Fowler was back in the Astros lineup for the first time since June 26th and went 1-for-4 with a walk and a single. The club optioned Domingo Santana to Triple-A to make room for his return.

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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