Skip to main content

Salazar pitches first shutout in Indians’ 7-0 win

By WTOP Staff

CLEVELAND (AP) — Danny Salazar pumped his fist, broke into a big smile and hugged his teammates.

A pitcher’s first career shutout is certainly reason to celebrate.

Salazar (6-6) struck out nine and didn’t walk a batter, and the Cleveland Indians beat the Detroit Tigers 7-0 on Wednesday night.

“I really wanted to finish,” he said. “They asked me after the eighth how I felt and I said I was ready. I felt better in the ninth than I did in the first.”

Salazar, who has pitched 17 consecutive scoreless innings, was given a loud ovation by the sparse crowd of 11,739 when he took the mound for the ninth. The 24-year-old right-hander gave up a one-out single to Steven Moya, but struck out J.D. Martinez for the fourth time.

With the crowd on its feet and Salazar’s adrenaline pumping, Nick Castellanos swung and missed at a 2-2 pitch — the 118th of the night — to end the game.

“I was excited, but I tried to keep my focus,” Salazar said. “I was saying, get an out, a strikeout, a groundout, it didn’t matter.”

Indians manager Terry Francona was pulling for Salazar to finish it off.

“You want the kid to get the shutout, but that was his last hitter,” he said. “He sure answered the bell tonight. He really dialed it up.”

Carlos Santana hit a two-run homer in the first off Justin Verlander (12-12), who allowed seventh runs in 6 2-3 innings.

Cleveland scored twice in the fourth on Lonnie Chisenhall’s RBI double and Yan Gomes’ run-scoring single. Michael Bourn’s RBI single and rookie Jose Ramirez’s run-scoring double finished Verlander in the seventh.

The Tigers (76-63), who entered play a half-game behind Kansas City in the AL Central, won the first two games of the crucial series against their division rivals. Cleveland (71-66) has won seven of 10 and is trying to stay in playoff contention.

Verlander pitched for the first time since nude photos of him and model girlfriend Kate Upton were allegedly hacked from an online account and posted on the Internet. The right-hander told reporters Tuesday that he wouldn’t comment on his personal life and his focus was on helping the Tigers make the playoffs.

Verlander, who struck out seven and allowed nine hits, has been dealing with a sore shoulder and his 4.80 ERA is the second-worst ERA of his career.

Salazar hasn’t allowed a run since the third inning on Aug. 23 against Houston. The right-hander pitched five scoreless innings against Kansas City last week, a start that was cut short by a rain delay.

“He was throwing mid-to-upper 90s the entire game and overpowered us at times,” Tigers manager Brad Ausmus said.

Santana homered to right on a 2-1 pitch, his 24th of the season.

BIG G

DH Jason Giambi started for the first time since June 11 and had a second-inning single in three at-bats. Giambi, 43, was activated from the 60-day disabled list on Monday with soreness in his left knee.

FULL ‘PEN

RHP Josh Tomlin returned from paternity leave, giving the Indians a total of 11 relievers. Tomlin pitched two scoreless innings for the win Saturday against Kansas City.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Indians: Utilityman Mike Aviles (whiplash symptoms) was out of the lineup for the second straight day. He was injured trying to make a diving catch in right field Monday.

UP NEXT

Tigers: RHP Max Scherzer (15-5) will start the finale of the four-game set Thursday for Detroit as the Tigers go for the series win.

Indians: RHP Trevor Bauer (5-7), who has pitched 11 2-3 consecutive scoreless innings, will start for Cleveland. The Indians have won each of his last four 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
Read Next Story

Related News

Frustration grows in Venezuela as earthquake death toll reaches 1,430

Israel and Lebanon sign framework agreement with US in ‘first step’ toward peace, Rubio says

Trump-endorsed populist poised to become Colombia’s next president as rival challenges vote