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Odorizzi, Longoria help Rays top Rangers 6-3

By WTOP Staff

SCHUYLER DIXON
AP Sports Writer

ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Jake Odorizzi wasn’t shaken by the only run-scoring hit he gave up to the Texas Rangers.

The young right-hander had quite the answer and helped keep an impressive road pitching streak going for the Tampa Bay Rays.

Odorizzi retired the final 10 hitters after allowing a home run, Evan Longoria homered and drove in three runs and the Rays beat the Texas Rangers 6-3 Thursday night.

“The guy’s confident,” manager Joe Maddon said of his 24-year-old pitcher. “He’s swaggering out to the mound, and swaggering back in. The whole group is confident. They’re not braggish about it, just businesslike in a confident way.”

And they have the numbers to back it up, with Odorizzi striking out seven in seven innings to help give the Rays their AL-record 18th consecutive road game without allowing more than three runs.

Odorizzi (9-9) was the starter the last time Tampa Bay gave up more than three runs — the last home game before the 10-game trip that just ended with the Rays taking three of four from the Rangers. He gave up five runs in a 7-5 loss to the Los Angeles Angels on Aug. 3.

Following up six shutout innings in a win at the Chicago Cubs, Odorizzi didn’t allow another baserunner after Geovany Soto’s first homer of the season to pull the Rangers within 4-2.

“I’ve been growing a lot since the first part of the season,” Odorizzi said. “I found out a lot about myself.”

Jake McGee pitched a perfect ninth for his 13th save in 14 chances, getting the Rays within three games of the major league record for consecutive road games with three runs or fewer allowed held by the 1908 Cubs.

Robbie Ross (2-5) came up from Triple-A Round Rock to fill in for Texas ace Yu Darvish, who is sidelined with elbow inflammation. The left-hander gave up six runs in 4 1-3 innings.

Ross started the season in the Texas rotation after spending two years as a reliever. He struck out the side in the first but then looked a lot like the pitcher who was sent back to the bullpen in May not long after giving up 30 runs — 23 earned — in 26 2-3 innings over five starts.

“I just started maybe being a little too fine and trying to pick around the zone instead of just going right at them like I was in the beginning,” Ross said.

THE TWO-RUN BLOWS

Longoria’s team-leading 15th homer was a two-run shot that gave the Rays a 6-2 lead in the fifth. Logan Forsythe matched a career high with three hits and put the Rays in front to stay with his two-run homer in the second. It came on an 0-2 pitch after Yunel Escobar reached with two outs on an infield hit when third baseman Adrian Beltre barehanded the slow roller but threw wide to first.

EFFICIENT RAYS

Tampa Bay followed Forsythe’s go-ahead homer with an efficient third inning that gave the Rays a 4-0 lead. Brandon Guyer stole second with two outs after an earlier single and came home when Longoria hit a soft liner over Elvis Andrus’ head into left-center field. After moving up on a wild pitch, Longoria scored on a single by James Loney.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Rays: CF Desmond Jennings (shoulder) wasn’t in the lineup for the second game after running into the wall Tuesday. … RF Wil Myers (fractured right wrist) could return from a rehab assignment at Triple-A Durham during next week’s series against Detroit.

Rangers: An MRI showed that Darvish’s elbow inflammation is not a long-term concern, but there’s no timetable for his return. He will miss at least two starts and will resume throwing when the tightness eases.

UP NEXT

Rays: Tampa Bay goes home to face the New York Yankees in the first of 32 consecutive games against teams currently in playoff contention. RHP Alex Cobb (7-6, 3.41) goes for his sixth straight win, opposing Yankees RHP Brandon McCarthy (4-1, 2.21 with New York).

Rangers: RHP Nick Martinez (2-8, 5.22) opens a weekend series against the Los Angeles Angels after snapping a 10-start winless streak by beating Houston his last time out. It was the longest such streak for a Texas starter since R.A. Dickey went 11 starts without a win in 2004-05

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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