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Danks hit hard, White Sox lose 11-4 to Twins

By WTOP Staff

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — John Danks is still searching for the right mix of pitches to stop his losing streak.

Kennys Vargas homered for the second consecutive night and Eduardo Nunez had four hits as the Minnesota Twins defeated Danks and the Chicago White Sox 11-4 on Wednesday.

Danks (9-10) is winless in seven starts since a July 25 victory in Minnesota left him 9-6. He gave up seven runs and 11 hits in 4 2-3 innings.

“This one was just not his night,” White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. “I don’t know if he was up in the zone, but guys are sitting on that fastball a little bit more. When he was going well he had his curveball mixing in and really an effective changeup. Right now it just seems like everyone is really sitting on the fastball. If you can’t locate that stuff, you’re going to get hit.”

Minnesota jumped out to a 3-0 lead in the first behind Nunez’s RBI triple and back-to-back doubles from Josmil Pinto and Oswaldo Arcia.

Danks settled down to hold the Twins scoreless for the next three innings, and Chicago got back into it. Dayan Viciedo’s two-run homer into the second deck in left brought the White Sox within a run, and Adam Eaton’s RBI single tied it in the fifth.

But the Twins broke loose for five runs in the bottom half to break a 3-all tie and set up Trevor May (1-4) for his first major league win. Vargas’ RBI single and Eduardo Escobar’s two-run triple did the bulk of the damage for Minnesota.

The game was halted in the bottom of the fifth by a 16-minute rain delay. When play resumed, Vargas blooped Danks’ first pitch into right field for an RBI single that gave the Twins a 4-3 lead.

“Kind of in my mind I think Vargas thought that after the delay I’d probably try to come out and throw a fastball and get back in the rhythm of things,” Danks said. “I threw a changeup and it cut on me again, but I still got weak contact. It was kind of par for the course, the way the night went, but it finds a hole. I’m not complaining. I didn’t do myself any favors.”

Four batters later, Escobar hit reliever Matt Lindstrom’s first pitch into the right-field corner for a two-run triple.

“I almost felt like every time I threw a fastball they knew it was coming,” said Danks, who is 7-13 against Minnesota since 2007. “We tried to mix it up and almost tried to pitch backwards a little bit. I worked better than before, but it was just an all-around bad night. It’s pretty frustrating.”

Vargas added a two-run homer deep into the second deck in left field in the sixth. Since being called up from the minors on Aug. 1, Vargas has 31 RBIs — third-most in the majors during that span.

May allowed three runs and six hits while striking out six in five innings.

TWINS TIP CAPS TO KONERKO

The Twins honored White Sox captain Paul Konerko in a pregame ceremony commemorating his final game in Minnesota. First baseman Joe Mauer and closer Glen Perkins gave Konerko a bottle of wine, and Twins manager Ron Gardenhire presented a $10,000 check for the Bring Me Home Campaign, which supports foster care in Chicago.

“He’s one of those clutch hitters against us, and when their team was playing really, really well you hated to see that guy come up. Not just because of a hit, but I’m talking a big hit. I’m talking home runs and that type of thing,” Gardenhire said. “He’s always been a constant over there and always seemed to come up in those big situations against us. He’d come up and find a way.”

In his 18-year career, Konerko played 256 games against the Twins, more than any player in history.

TRAINER’S ROOM

White Sox: Jose Abreu returned to the lineup at DH after being given a night off due to general soreness. “It’s nothing major,” Ventura said. “I think at times it’s his ankle, at other times it’s his hamstring. When it all piles together he just doesn’t feel all that great.”

UP NEXT

The White Sox wrap up a short road swing with a three-game series in Cleveland that starts Friday. Chris Sale (11-3) pitches against fellow lefty T.J. House (2-3).

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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