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White Sox lose 7-1 to Giants after disputed call

By WTOP Staff

ANTONIO GONZALEZ
AP Sports Writer

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Chicago White Sox manager Robin Ventura repeatedly kicked dirt over home plate, screamed and pointed his finger at umpires during an epic protest.

And that was after he was ejected.

All Ventura and the White Sox could do was rant and rave after ending up on the wrong side of the latest controversial call under baseball’s expanded replay system in a 7-1 loss to the San Francisco Giants on Wednesday.

San Francisco scored seven runs in the seventh inning after the replay official overturned an out call at home because they said Chicago catcher Tyler Flowers illegally blocked Gregor Blanco’s path to the plate.

Ventura, Flowers and the rest of the White Sox believe replay officials need to have more flexibility when they apply the rule.

“If you look at the spirit of the rule of what they are trying to do and what it’s actually doing it’s a joke,” said Ventura, who unsuccessfully challenged a similar call at the plate in Chicago’s 3-2 win Tuesday night in San Francisco. “They don’t take into consideration that the guy was out by a longshot.”

With one out in the seventh, first baseman Jose Abreu fielded Joe Panik’s broken-bat grounder to throw out Blanco by at least six feet. Giants manager Bruce Bochy challenged the play, and umpires ruled Flowers’ left leg was illegally blocking the plate before the ball arrived.

Blanco said Flowers was “definitely” blocking the plate. Flowers agreed, but said that’s not the point.

“Apparently (replay officials) are interpreting this extremely black and white with no context,” Flowers said.

San Francisco snapped a five-game losing streak as Jake Peavy (1-3) won for the first time since April 25 with Boston. Peavy had lost 12 consecutive decisions, the longest skid of his career.

Peavy’s friend and former White Sox teammate, Jose Quintana (6-9), took the loss.

“Catching those breaks, feels like I haven’t caught one on my day with any team I’ve pitched for,” Peavy said.

Adam Dunn hit his 19th homer of the season into McCovey Cove in the fourth for Chicago’s only run. It was one of just four hits Peavy allowed in seven innings.

Peavy even changed his uniform number from 43 to 22, which he wore for his high school in Mobile, Alabama. He wore 44 with the San Diego Padres, White Sox and Boston Red Sox.

Perhaps the new look changed his luck.

San Francisco took advantage of the new rule, 7.13, that prohibits catchers from blocking the plate until possessing the ball so runners don’t barrel into them. The rule gained traction after Giants catcher Buster Posey’s gruesome injury in May 2011 ended his season blocking the same plate at AT&T Park.

The review lasted 4 minutes and 55 seconds, and umpires also allowed Adam Duvall to advance from first to third. But even after being ejected, Ventura came back out to challenge that decision. The play was reviewed again, and umpires told Duvall to go back to second.

Angel Pagan added a two-out, two-run single, and Hunter Pence and Posey each hit RBI singles. The Giants scored two more runs when center fielder Jordan Danks and Dunn also got tangled up in right-center going for Pablo Sandoval’s fly.

Quintana was charged with four runs and four hits in 6 2-3 innings. Reliever Ronald Belisario was tagged for three runs, one earned, and three hits without recording an out.

DUNN’S DINGER

It was the second time this season Dunn homered off Peavy. The pitcher said if anybody was going to take him deep, he was glad it was his friend. “But I’m sure I’ll have to hear about it,” Peavy said.

TRAINER’S ROOM

White Sox: Pitching coach Don Cooper, who did not make the road trip because of a recurrence of vertigo-like symptoms, is expected to rejoin the team in Chicago on Friday.

Giants: Backup C Hector Sanchez (concussion) was scheduled to start behind the plate Wednesday with Triple-A Fresno for the first time during his rehab assignment.

NEXT UP

White Sox: After a day off Thursday, RHP Hector Noesi (6-8, 4.67 ERA) starts the opener of a three-game home series against Toronto on Friday.

Giants: The team has a day off Thursday before LHP Madison Bumgarner (13-9, 3.22) takes the mound in the opener of a three-game series against Philadelphia on Friday.

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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