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Archer fans 12 for Rays in 10-1 win over Rangers

By WTOP Staff

STEPHEN HAWKINS
AP Sports Writer

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Tampa Bay right-hander Chris Archer got his only two walks out of the way against the first three Texas hitters.

Then Archer started piling up the strikeouts. The hard-throwing right-hander got into such a groove that he didn’t realize he struck out six Rangers in a row at one point in the Rays’ 10-1 victory Wednesday night.

“It’s just one of those situations where you get in the zone and you black out,” Archer said. “Your hard work and practice takes over.”

Archer (8-6) had a career-high 12 strikeouts in seven innings and Matt Joyce hit the first of Tampa Bay’s three early home runs. After those two walks, Archer got out of the first when Alex Rios went down swinging to start the strikeout streak.

“When he struck out Rios,” I felt a lot better,” manager Joe Maddon said. “That was the real deep slider that we’re used to seeing. I liked that. “

It was Archer’s third career game with at least 10 strikeouts, and two have come against the Rangers. He struck out 11 against Texas in a home game on Sept. 8, 2012, in his third career start.

After Joyce homered in the first, Sean Rodriguez and Brandon Guyer hit two-run shots in the second off righty Miles Mikolas (1-5).

“I think it was kind of nice to jump out in front with the big hit like that,” Joyce said. “The guys seemed to be aggressive with the ball in the zone and up in the zone. Just really driving the ball.”

James Loney drove in two runs with his three singles for Tampa Bay, which extended its AL record by allowing three runs or less in 17 consecutive road games. Only the 1908 Chicago Cubs had a longer stretch — 21 in a row.

Texas got its run when Leonys Martin had a leadoff double in the fifth and came home on Jim Adduci’s sacrifice fly.

Left-hander Alex Claudio, whose contract was purchased from Triple-A Round Rock earlier Wednesday when Rangers ace Yu Darvish went on the disabled list, retired all three batters he faced in his major league debut.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Rays: CF Desmond Jennings didn’t play because of a sore shoulder, a night after slamming hard into the wall while making an incredible running catch. Jennings could be back in the lineup Thursday.

Rangers: Darvish was placed on the 15-day disabled list because of right elbow inflammation and won’t start the series finale Thursday as scheduled. The move was retroactive to Sunday, a day after Darvish lost his last start. INF Jurickson Profar, out all season because of a torn muscle in his shoulder, took some grounders without making any throws.

UP NEXT

Rookie RHP Jake Odorizzi (8-9) pitches for the Rays, who wrap up a 10-game road trip. Tampa is 5-4 on this trip, and 20-6 away from home since June 15. LHP Robbie Ross (2-4) is set to be recalled from Triple-A Round Rock to start in Darvish’s spot. Texas has lost 20 of its last 27 home games.

ANOTHER NAME TO THE LIST

Claudio, who didn’t arrive at the ballpark until about an hour after the game began, became the club-record 56th different player and 17th rookie used by the Rangers this season. He was also the record 34th pitcher, and that became 35 in the ninth when catcher J.P. Arencibia pitched in the majors for the first time, allowing one hit in a scoreless ninth. He was the third position player to pitch for the Rangers this year.

ALMOST GONE

Between the homers by Rodriguez and Guyer in the second, Curt Casali hit a towering drive that hit on top of the 14-foot wall in left field and ricocheted back onto the field. Umpires looked at replay that confirmed the ball remained in play for a double.

MUCH LESS TIME

A night after a 14-inning game that took 4 hours, 49 minutes to play, the third game of the four-game set was played in 2 hours, 51 minutes.

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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