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McCann gets 4 hits, Yanks top Red Sox to end skid

By WTOP Staff

BEN WALKER
AP Baseball Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — Brian McCann will have all winter to figure out what went wrong in his first year with the New York Yankees. In the meantime, he’s trying to help them make a late push to reach the playoffs.

McCann homered among his career high-tying four hits and the Yankees bounced back to end a three-game losing streak, beating the Boston Red Sox 5-1 Wednesday night.

“It’s just good to contribute,” he said.

McCann homered a day earlier as the Yankees got battered by Boston, leaving them five games behind for the second AL wild-card spot. In the rematch with the last-place Red Sox, he drove in three runs and gave an early cushion to Hiroki Kuroda (10-8).

McCann has mostly been a disappointment with the Yankees, stuck in a season-long slump. A seven-time All-Star for Atlanta, he signed a rich free-agent deal with New York but hasn’t hit much, prompting manager Joe Girardi to note before the game, “I think he expected more from himself.”

“It took me longer to get going with the bat than normal,” McCann agreed. “I haven’t tried to dissect it.”

McCann went 4 for 4 after opening the game hitting .237, 40 points below his career average.

Then again, nobody has really hit much among these longtime rivals. They began the day as the two lowest-scoring teams in the AL, and no one in either starting lineup was batting over .285.

Kuroda gave up one run and four hits in seven innings, striking out eight without a walk. He evened his mark at 78-78 in seven seasons for the Yankees and Dodgers.

Anthony Ranaudo (3-1) lost for the first time in his four starts since making his big league debut. Boston kept up its weeklong pattern of alternating wins and losses.

McCann connected for his 17th homer, a two-run shot in the second. The drive quieted Ranaudo’s sizable cheering section — raised in central New Jersey, he beat the Yankees last month in his first game.

“I was a little disappointed that we lost the game in general, that the team lost the game,” Ranaudo said. “I wasn’t really worried about my family or friends. It’s great that they were here, that they support me and everything like that, but the team is definitely way more important.”

McCann got four hits for the 11th time in his career, capped by an RBI single in the seventh. He’s homered 15 times at home this year, and launched his latest shot to right field over the overshifted Boston defense.

Lately, he’s even tried to bunt to beat the stacked right side.

“It looks like there’s 12 guys out there,” he said.

A day after bad baserunning dearly cost the Yankees, they tried a double steal in the first. Instead, Derek Jeter and Brett Gardner ran right into a double play.

Jeter was on second and Gardner was on first when they took off. Catcher Christian Vazquez targeted the trailing runner, trapping Gardner in a rundown. Second baseman Jemile Weeks suddenly zipped a throw across the diamond that caught Jeter straying off third, and third baseman Brock Holt’s toss nailed Gardner at second.

The Red Sox weren’t so swift around the bags, either.

Daniel Nava got picked off first by Kuroda, seeming incredibly nonchalant returning to the base. Moments earlier, Kuroda had looked back Nava without making a throw.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Red Sox: 2B Dustin Pedroia missed his fourth game in a row because of concussion-like symptoms. Manager John Farrell said Pedroia took early batting practice and passed an online test in his recovery. Farrell said he was “optimistic” Pedroia would play during Boston’s upcoming homestand, which starts Friday night.

Yankees: INF-OF Martin Prado has temporarily been shut down because of a mild strain of his left hamstring. He was hurt Tuesday night, and Girardi said “hopefully it’s just a day or two.”

UP NEXT

Red Sox RHP Brandon Workman (1-8, 4.93 ERA) starts the series finale Thursday night against LHP Chris Capuano (2-3, 4.24). Capuano began the season with Boston and pitched 28 times in relief before being released. He later played in the minors for Colorado and joined the Yankees in late July.

THREE OF A KIND

Boston’s 3-4-5 hitters — David Ortiz, Yoenis Cespedes and Nava — all began the game batting .263. The last time three teammates in a row had the same average this late in a season was Sept. 8, 2011, when Kansas City’s Alex Gordon, Melky Cabrera and Billy Butler each was hitting .300, STATS said.

TALK IT OUT

Gardner and 3B umpire Tim Timmons talked for nearly a minute on the outfield grass during warmups before the top of the third. On Tuesday, Gardner was called out on strikes by Timmons and ejected for flipping his bat and slamming his helmet. Their day-after conversation was civil, but there were no smiles or laughs.

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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