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Blue Jays lose again, routed 11-5 by White Sox

By WTOP Staff

CHICAGO (AP) — Marcus Stroman couldn’t get out of the first inning and the Toronto Blue Jays couldn’t get back in the win column.

The Blue Jays gave up 17 hits and five-run innings in the first and fifth, losing 11-5 to the Chicago White Sox on Friday night.

“Win a game,” Blue Jays manager John Gibbons of the solution. “That’s all it takes. It’s not always that easy, though.”

Especially of late. Toronto has lost 10 of 13 to drop four games behind Seattle in the race for the second and final wild-card spot.

Stroman (7-4) allowed five runs on five hits and a hit batter in two-thirds of an inning, his shortest outing since joining the rotation on May 31.

“In fact, I even made some good pitches,” Stroman said. “When I made good pitches, they were hit for base hits. It was one of those days that you put in the past, put your head down, work hard during the week and look forward to your next outing.”

Afterward, pitcher Chad Jenkins was optioned to Triple-A Buffalo. He allowed one run on five hits and a walk in 2 2-3 innings. A relief pitcher is expected to be called up before the game on Saturday night.

Rookie Jose Abreu had three singles and three RBIs to increase his total to 89, most in the major leagues. Adam Dunn, who also had three hits, and Dayan Viciedo each drove in two runs.

Hector Noesi (7-8) settled down after allowing four runs in the first two innings and pitched five-plus innings for his fourth win in five decisions.

Blue Jays slugger Edwin Encarnacion was hitless as the DH after being activated from the 15-day disabled list before the game.

Ten of the first 15 White Sox hitters reached base as Chicago scored five runs in the first inning and added one in the second.

“The offense was great tonight,” White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. “We put together a really great inning against a hot pitcher. It was good to see the offense do this tonight.

HURRY UP ALREADY

Three pitchers combined to throw 68 pitches in a 40-minute first inning.

“It’s ridiculous the way the speed of the game is right now,” said ex-White Sox and current Blue Jays pitcher Mark Buehrle, one of the fastest workers in the big leagues. “To me, (baseball officials) need to do something to change it up.”

Asked whether he would be in favor of a pitch clock, Buehrle said, “There’s supposed to be one right now, but they don’t really (enforce it). When the batter gets in the box, stay in the box. I mean, there’s a lot of stuff they can do to change it.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

Blue Jays

Encarnacion, a two-time All-Star, missed more than a month because of a strained right quadriceps muscle. He has played 70 of 91 games this season at first base, but manager John Gibbons plans to ease Encarnacion back onto the field.

“He’ll have to play first base, but he was running guarded a little bit,” Gibbons said. “If we don’t have to, we’ll let him DH the first few games anyway.”

The Blue Jays sent outfielder Anthony Gose to the Triple-A Buffalo to make roster room for Encarnacion. They also optioned RHP Chad Jenkins to Buffalo after the game.

White Sox

Outfielder Avisail Garcia, out since April 9 (torn labrum in left shoulder) has progressed in a rehab stint at Triple-A Charlotte and could be back as early as this weekend, according to Ventura. Garcia has 17 hits in 50 at-bats (.340), the number of plate appearances Ventura said Garcia needed to reach.

UP NEXT

Buehrle (11-8, 3.31) will face Chicago LHP John Danks (9-8, 4.96) on Saturday. Buehrle will take the mound at U.S. Cellular Field for the first time since leaving the White Sox three years ago.

Buehrle has made two starts in Toronto (1-1) against Chicago, where he pitched for the first 12 years of his career.

POWERING UP

Adam Lind rejoined the Blue Jays from the DL on Tuesday in Seattle at was at first base on Friday. Lind has just four homers and 27 RBIs in 63 games with a .319 average, but last year hit 23 homers with 67 RBIs.

The Blue Jays are counting on him and Encarnacion for an offensive boost down the stretch.

“Early in the season when we were winning a lot of games, a lot of it was we were scoring a lot of runs,” Gibbons said. “These guys are a big part of our team.”

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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