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Blue Jays fall short in 4-3 loss to Red Sox

By WTOP Staff

IAN HARRISON
Associated Press

TORONTO (AP) — Save for a one-inning outburst, this was more of the same from the Blue Jays offense: not enough.

Yoenis Cespedes singled home the go-ahead run in the 10th and the Boston Red Sox survived a ninth-inning collapse to beat Toronto 4-3 on Monday night, snapping their losing streak at eight games.

Built to slug, the Blue Jays have been sluggish of late, failing to score more than three runs in 13 of 21 August games. Their record in that span is an ugly 6-15.

“We have run into some good pitching, but still we’re a team that should score runs and we haven’t been doing that,” manager John Gibbons lamented.

Toronto lost for the ninth time in 12 games and saw a six-game winning streak over Boston ended.

“Disappointing, definitely disappointing,” Gibbons said.

Cespedes has 19 RBIs in 22 games since being traded to Boston on July 31. Seven of those 19 RBIs have given the Red Sox a lead.

“Cespy has been so good since coming over to us, getting RBIs in key moments, late-inning situations,” Red Sox manager John Farrell said. “Whether it’s been with a base hit or a long ball, he’s been big for us late in games.”

Brock Holt hit a one-out single off Aaron Sanchez (2-1) in the 10th and stole second as Dustin Pedroia struck out, with the steal confirmed by video review. Holt stole third before Cespedes drove him in with a single past diving second baseman Munenori Kawasaki.

“I thought for a second I’d fooled him,” Sanchez said. “He just got the bat on the ball and hit it right back up the middle.

Boston won for the first time since August 16 against Houston.

“It’s nice to win, no matter what, no matter how many you’ve lost in a row or won in a row,” Holt said.

Koji Uehara (6-4) got the win despite blowing his fourth save in 30 chances, and Craig Breslow finished for his first save in two chances.

Toronto managed just two singles against Red Sox starter Clay Buchholz through the first eight innings, but rallied in the ninth after Jose Reyes and Melky Cabrera delivered back-to-back hits and Jose Bautista walked to load the bases.

Uehara came on and got Adam Lind to ground into a fielder’s choice as Reyes scored. Edwin Encarnacion followed with a two-run double beyond the reach of a leaping Cespedes in left, tying it at 3-3.

Mookie Betts hit a one-out drive into the second deck in the fifth, his first homer since July 2. Two batters later, Dustin Pedroia hit a two-run shot, his first since August 3.

Both homers came off Blue Jays left-hander J.A. Happ, who allowed three runs and five hits in six innings.

“Happ was really good,” Gibbons said. “Just those two swings got him.”

Boston won despite playing without slugger David Ortiz, who sat out with of a bruised right foot. Ortiz left Sunday’s game against Seattle in the sixth, two innings after fouling a ball off his foot. Farrell said he’s “hopeful” that Ortiz will be able to return Tuesday.

WORKING OVERTIME

Toronto played extra innings for the fifth time in six home games. They’re 3-2 in those games. The Blue Jays are 4-5 overall in extra innings this season.

ARMED AND DANGEROUS

Cabrera threw out Christian Vasquez trying to tag up from second on Pedroia’s fly ball to the warning track in the third. It was Cabrera’s 12th assist of the season, the third highest total in the majors. It’s the most by a Toronto outfielder since Bautista had 13 in 2011.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Gibbons said he doesn’t believe there’s anything wrong with closer Casey Janssen, who’s 0-1 with two blown saves and a 6.59 ERA since the All-Star break. Janssen missed the first 37 games of the season with a back injury.

UP NEXT

Red Sox RH Rubby De La Rosa (4-5) faces Blue Jays RH R.A. Dickey (10-12) on Tuesday. De La Rosa has allowed nine hits four times this season, with two of those starts coming against Toronto. Dickey won for the first time in four starts against Milwaukee last week but worked just 5 2-3 innings, his shortest outing since June 4 at Detroit.

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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