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Royals’ offense falters in 6-1 loss to Indians

By WTOP Staff

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — The Kansas City Royals didn’t have much trouble getting runners on base. They just had a tough time scoring runs.

The Royals stranded 12 men on base, went 1 for 6 with runners in scoring position and failed to score until the ninth inning in a 6-1 loss to the Cleveland Indians on Friday night.

Alex Gordon, Billy Butler and Salvador Perez went a combined 1 for 14 as Royals starter Danny Salazar threw five scoreless innings, but did not come back out after a 44-minute rain delay in the sixth.

“Salazar was throwing 96 miles per hour fastball and spotting it well,” Royals manager Ned Yost said. “We just couldn’t get anything going offensively.”

Alcides Escobar had four of the Royals’ nine hits and drove in Christian Colon in the ninth for their lone run. The loss cut Kansas City’s lead to a half-game over Detroit in the AL Central.

Cleveland’s Carlos Santana, who homered five times at Kauffman Stadium in a series last month, hit a two-run homer in the ninth inning. It was his 22nd home run, and helped Cleveland win for the fifth time in six games.

Boosted by his big four-game set in July, Santana is 14 for 26 with six homers, 13 RBIs and a 1.269 slugging percentage this year in Kansas City. Santana, who also had an RBI single, is hitting only .229 overall this year.

Salazar (5-6) pitched four-hit ball for five shutout innings.

Jason Vargas (10-7) gave up 10 hits and four runs in six innings.

Zach Walters hit an RBI double in the second to put Cleveland ahead.

Tyler Bolt led off the Indians’ three-run third with a bunt single. Santana and Jose Ramirez had RBI singles and Michael Brantley, who had three hits, scored on Jeff Kipnis’ groundout.

“Those two innings need to be tightened up more than they were,” Vargas said.

Salazar gave up four singles, walked two and struck out three in five innings. After his exit, there was a parade of six Cleveland relievers, with left-handers Kyle Crockett and Marc Rzepczynski each throwing just one pitch.

Crockett hit Mike Moustakas and Rzepczynski retired Gordon on a grounder.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Indians: C Yan Gomes was activated from the concussion list after missing six games. … OF David Murphy (strained right oblique) took batting practice. … C-IF Chris Gimenez was placed on the paternity list.

Royals: 1B Eric Hosmer (broken right hand) will report Saturday to Triple-A Omaha to begin a minor league rehab assignment. … 2B Omar Infante (right shoulder inflammation) was not in the lineup for the fourth straight game.

UP NEXT

Indians: RHP Trevor Bauer, who gave up four hits and struck out nine in six scoreless innings in beating Houston in his previous start, will start the middle game of this series.

Royals: RHP James Shields has won his past three starts against the Indians with a 1.80 ERA in that 20-inning span.

SO LONG

The Royals designated LHP Bruce Chen for assignment one day after he gave up six runs on five hits, three for extra-bases, and two walks in the 10th inning of a loss to Minnesota. This was Chen’s sixth season with the Royals and he led the club in victories in three straight seasons, 2010-12. “He’s been here a long time,” Royals manager Ned Yost said. “I’ve watched him win a bunch of ball games. His presence on the field well as well off the field has been great for all of us.” RHP Louis Coleman was summoned from Triple-A Omaha, taking Chen’s roster spot.

ESCOBAR SIZZLES

Escobar matched a career high with four hits, his fourth career four hit game. His previous was Aug. 18, 2012 against the White Sox.

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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