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Gibson falters as Indians overtake Twins 7-5

By WTOP Staff

DAVE CAMPBELL
AP Sports Writer

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — Kyle Gibson had the home crowd behind him and a five-run lead from his Minnesota Twins teammates as he returned to the mound for the second inning.

Hit by hit, though, Cleveland didn’t quit. By the sixth, Gibson was sitting in the dugout, staring straight ahead in disgust after the Indians had pulled ahead.

Yan Gomes had three hits including a home run, rookie pinch-hitter Tyler Holt hit the go-ahead two-run double in the sixth inning, and the Indians came back to beat the Twins 7-5 on Tuesday night.

“It’s just a bad job,” said Gibson, who gave up a solo shot to Gomes in the second and a two-run single to Zach Walters in the fourth before losing control of a slider for a wild pitch in the fifth that let Michael Bourn score and bring the Indians within 5-4.

Then came Holt’s big hit, one batter after Gibson was replaced by reliever Brian Duensing (3-3). Bourn followed with an RBI single to give the Indians a two-run edge.

“I should’ve been more relaxed and should’ve been getting ahead of guys and using that to my advantage for sure,” Gibson said.

In half of Gibson’s 24 starts, he has given up one run or no runs. But his ERA rose again, from 3.96 to 4.13, after another inability to establish some consistency.

“It looked like he was trying not to give up runs, rather than just pitching and going after ’em,” Gardenhire said.

Oswaldo Arcia homered in his third straight game for the Twins, capping a five-run first with a three-run shot after Joe Mauer and Kennys Vargas also drove in runs.

But Indians starter Trevor Bauer settled down and retired the next 14 batters before being removed for Kyle Crockett (3-0), who recorded the final out in the fifth and one in the sixth.

Indians manager Terry Francona kept on managing, making a total of seven pitching changes until summoning Cody Allen for the ninth inning to notch his 16th save in 17 attempts. The Indians have won six of their last eight games, trying to stay relevant in the AL Central race behind Kansas City and Detroit.

“Can’t shut down on a team like that. You can see what they’re playing for,” Gardenhire said.

Arcia’s homer was his fifth in his last seven games and 13th this season, one shy of his 2013 rookie total. The Twins have hit 28 homers runs in their last 27 games.

MISSED CHANCE

The Twins started the seventh with consecutive singles, bringing up their leading — and leadoff — hitter Danny Santana with nobody out, down by two runs. After bunting foul balls twice, Santana struck out. Gardenhire defended the decision to sacrifice, challenging the rookie to improve that aspect of his game.

“He can hit a home run, yes, and he’s hitting .320, yes, but he’s got to be able to bunt,” Gardenhire said. “He might be able to bunt and get a base hit. So there is no decision there. That’s an automatic. We’re bunting ’em over with Danny Santana. He’s got to be able to do that in order to stay and be a great player like we think he’s going to be. He knows that more than anybody.”

TRAINER’S ROOM

General manager Terry Ryan ruled out a return this year for RHP Mike Pelfrey, who has been out since early May, first because of a groin problem and then an elbow injury that required surgery. Pelfrey has resumed playing catch, but time is running out on the season.

“We’ll start him fresh next year and he’ll be a piece of spring training, but I don’t see any reason why we ought to push that.” Pelfrey is under contract for $5.5 million in 2015, but the competition for rotation spots will be crowded.

UP NEXT

Twins: Ricky Nolasco (5-8) will start Wednesday, looking for his first win since July 1. The right-hander signed a four-year, $49 million contract in the offseason, and this will be his second turn for the Twins since coming off the disabled list with an elbow injury.

Indians: T.J. House (1-3) has allowed three or fewer earned runs in eight straight starts. The Indians will try to climb three games above .500 for the first time since July 19.

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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