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Rays shut out for 16th time in 3-0 loss to Red Sox

By WTOP Staff

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Kevin Kiermaier got the Tampa Bay Rays off to a positive start with a sharp single on Clay Buchholz’s first pitch.

They didn’t muster much offense after that.

Buchholz threw a three-hitter to stop his string of seven starts without a win, leading the Boston Red Sox over the Rays 3-0 on Sunday and handing Tampa Bay its 16th shutout of the season.

“He just did everything that you want to do as a pitcher, and when a pitcher does that it makes it really tough to hit,” said Matt Joyce, who had a fourth-inning double. “I don’t think we’re really built as an offensive juggernaut as a team, so sometimes you’re going to take your licking, unfortunately.”

Buchholz (6-8) walked none and struck out six. Joyce was the only Rays runner to reach second base.

Alex Cobb (9-7) gave up two runs and seven hits over 6 1-3 innings and took his first loss in two months. After losing to Pittsburgh on June 23, Cobb went 7-0 with a 2.14 ERA in 11 starts entering Sunday.

“(Buchholz) had his ‘A’ game going today and when he’s on like that, it’s tough to scratch across runs. So I knew it was going to be at a minimum,” Cobb said. “I was angry to give up the runs that we gave up because one was self-inflicted.”

Xander Bogaerts singled leading off the third, went to third when Cobb was charged with an error for a wild pickoff try and scored to put Boston up 1-0 on Christian Vazquez’s single. The Rays have at least one error in eight consecutive games for their longest streak since a team-record, 11-game stretch in 2004.

After Mookie Betts had an RBI single in the fifth, David Ortiz made it 3-0 when he went the opposite way against a defensive shift and hit a run-scoring single in the eighth.

It was the first win since July 18 for Buchholz, who came in with a 5.77 ERA. He became the fourth pitcher to throw a complete-game shutout against the Rays this season.

“Today there’s nothing he did not have going on,” Tampa Bay manager Joe Maddon said. “We ran into a really good pitching performance today. He’d have beat up a lot of folks today with that stuff.”

Since becoming the fourth team in big league history to reach .500 after falling 18 games under the break-even point, Tampa Bay (66-71) has dropped 10 of 15.

Ortiz has reached base in 16 straight games. He has 152 RBIs against the Rays, the most of any opponent.

LOTS OF ZEROS

With 18 shutouts of their own, the Rays have played in 34 shutouts this season, the most by an American League team since the New York Yankees were involved in 37 in 1973.

MYERS MISERY

Struggling Rays OF Wil Myers was out of the lineup. The 2013 AL Rookie of the Year has just six hits in 42 at-bats, including 16 strikeouts, since returning from a broken right wrist that sidelined him for 70 games.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Red Sox: 2B Dustin Pedroia was out of the lineup one day after leaving with concussion-like symptoms. Manager John Farrell said Pedroia is not expected to play Monday, but felt better Sunday and the team is hopeful the injury is a short-term issue.

Rays: CF Desmond Jennings was out of the lineup for the third straight game due to left knee soreness. … OF David DeJesus (broken left hand) expects to activated from the disabled list Monday.

UP NEXT

Red Sox RHP Rubby De La Rosa (4-5) and Rays LHP Drew Smyly (9-10) are the scheduled starters for the finale of a four-game series Monday. Last Wednesday night at Baltimore, Smyly became the second Tampa Bay pitcher to allow two hits or fewer over seven or more innings in consecutive starts.

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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