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Indians rally to tie score, then give up 7 in 11th

By WTOP Staff

CLEVELAND (AP) — The Indians came into their crucial series against Detroit with a plenty of momentum.

Four days later, their playoff hopes have taken a major hit.

Cleveland rallied from a 4-0 deficit in the first inning against reigning Cy Young winner Max Scherzer to tie the score, only to be overwhelmed by a seven-run onslaught in the 11th for an 11-4 loss Thursday night.

“It’s disappointing,” manager Terry Francona said. “We’re down 4-0 before we can take a deep breath and you’ve got Scherzer on the mound. That’s not a real good formula. And they battled back so hard to tie the game.”

The Indians dropped three of four in the series, including a crushing 4-2 loss Tuesday when closer Cody Allen gave up a three-run homer to J.D. Martinez in the ninth inning.

Cleveland is six games behind Kansas City in the AL Central and five games back for a wild card. The Indians have fought back from adversity several times this season and Francona is confident that will continue.

“They’ll be OK,” he said. “After the tough loss the other night they came back. There was energy. There’s nothing else to do. They’ll come out and play.”

Josh Tomlin (6-9) gave up five runs and three hits in one-third of an inning. Francona had already used five relievers and turned to Tomlin, who returned to the team Tuesday after being on the paternity list as his wife gave birth to their first child.

Eugenio Suarez’s two-run single with the bases loaded broke the tie. Victor Martinez hit a three-run homer and Andrew Romine, who grounded out to start the inning, added a two-run single.

“His best pitch is his curveball and he didn’t have a good feel for it,” Francona said. “He just got back from his wife having a baby, so his routine was interrupted, so that didn’t help.”

A rocky first inning by Trevor Bauer landed Cleveland in an early hole. The inning included 38 pitches, 10 batters, four hits, three walks and a bases-loaded wild pitch.

The Indians chipped away against Scherzer. Michael Brantley had a sacrifice fly in the fourth. The Indians scored twice in the sixth on Yan Gomes’ groundout and Lonnie Chisenhall’s double.

Scherzer staggered through six innings, allowing three runs and throwing 124 pitches before being pulled.

Michael Bourn’s one-out single off Al Alburquerque started the tying rally. Blaine Hardy relieved with two outs, but Brantley doubled to left-center on the first pitch and Bourn raced home.

SLOW STARTER

Teams pouncing on Bauer in the first is nothing new for the young right-hander — he has a 6.55 ERA in the inning this season, giving up 20 runs (16 earned) on 26 hits. Bauer allowed four runs in 5 2-3 innings.

SIDELINED

Utilityman Mike Aviles is sidelined because of a concussion that occurred Monday when he attempted to make a diving catch of a fly ball in right field. Aviles likely won’t go on the seven-day disabled list because the rosters are expanded, but he’ll have to pass the concussion protocol tests before playing again.

TRAINER’S ROOM

OF David Murphy (strained right oblique) homered for Triple-A Columbus on a rehab assignment Wednesday. Murphy, who hasn’t played since Aug. 9, will be checked by team doctors Friday.

UP NEXT

Cleveland continues its 11-game homestand against the White Sox on Friday. LHP T.J. House (2-3) goes against LHP Chris Sale (11-3), who leads the AL with a 2.11 ERA.

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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