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Ventura dominant early before Royals fall

By WTOP Staff

MIKE COOK
Associated Press

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Yordano Ventura cruised through six innings Saturday night, then couldn’t complete the seventh.

Phil Hughes threw seven sharp innings, Kurt Suzuki hit his third homer of the season and the Minnesota Twins beat first-place Kansas City 4-1 to snap the Royals’ three-game winning streak.

Coupled with Detroit’s 4-2 win over Seattle, the Royals’ AL Central lead is down to a half-game.

Hughes (13-8) allowed one run, seven hits and struck out six to outlast Ventura (9-9), a hard-throwing rookie who threw six innings of one-hit ball before the Twins broke through.

With runners on second and third in the seventh, Ventura threw a 99-mph fastball that shattered Danny Santana’s bat — but Santana reached base when Billy Butler tried to throw out Suzuki at home. Catcher Salvador Perez’s tag was late, allowing the Twins to tie it.

Ventura threw a season-high 114 pitches — his fifth straight game of at least 101 — but manager Ned Yost believes the right-hander was still his best option with the slim lead.

“He had only given up one hit to that point, he was still throwing the ball good,” Yost said. “We had a chance to get out of it there. We gambled and played the infield in, got the ground ball, but Billy hesitated just enough where we couldn’t make the play.”

Brian Dozier followed with his 25th double of the season to score pinch-runner Eduardo Escobar and put the Twins ahead for good. Kennys Vargas chased Ventura two batters later with a sacrifice fly to score Santana and give Minnesota a two-run lead.

“Throughout the game you have to make good pitches, and in that situation in the seventh inning he was trying to do everything he could to make good pitches,” said pitcher Bruce Chen, who was Ventura’s postgame interpreter.

Ventura had otherwise dominated Minnesota’s lineup with his power, consistently hitting into the upper-90s throughout the evening. He struggled with his command, though, walking a season-high six batters and getting called for a balk in the third inning.

The right-hander walked the bases loaded with one out in the second, but got Chris Parmelee to hit into a double play.

“He’s got the stuff to get out of it,” Yost said.

Nori Aoki scored Kansas City’s lone run after stealing third in the fourth inning. Suzuki’s throw from home sailed into left field, allowing Aoki to score easily.

Hughes has won three in a row after losing three straight starts. He also has allowed only three runs this month. Casey Fien pitched to two batters in the eighth and Glen Perkins pitched the ninth for this 31st save in 34 chances.

“When you only score one you don’t give yourself a margin for error,” Butler said. “It’s just one of those games where we couldn’t get nothing going offensively.”

Suzuki’s solo homer in the eighth off Aaron Crow was his first since May 20, a span of 217 at-bats.

TRAINER’S ROOM:

Twins: A week after severely spraining his right ankle, RHP Anthony Swarzak appears to be fine and has avoided the disabled list. “He came and did everything out in the pen yesterday, actually simulated running off the mound going to first base. He’s fine,” manager Ron Gardenhire said.

UP NEXT:

Kansas City’s Jeremy Guthrie (8-10) will pitch Sunday against Tommy Milone (6-3) in the third of this four-game series. Guthrie will try to bounce back from his previous start when he allowed six runs — four earned — against Oakland on Tuesday as the A’s snapped the Royals’ eight-game winning streak. Milone makes his second start for the Twins since being acquired from Oakland last month.

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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