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Jeter ends long skid, Yankees beat Rays 3-2

By WTOP Staff

MARK DIDTLER
Associated Press

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. (AP) — Derek Jeter managed to get a hit that had been most elusive.

Jeter ended an 0-for-28 slump that was the second-worst of his career, and the New York Yankees beat the Tampa Bay Rays 3-2 Wednesday night.

The retiring Yankees captain lined a single off Alex Cobb leading off the sixth inning. Jeter had an 0-for-32 stretch in April 2004.

“I’m one for my last two, guys,” Jeter said. “It felt good, man.”

Jeter, who lives in nearby Tampa, went 1 for 4 and scored a run in his final game at Tropicana Field. He got a loud ovation from the announced crowd of 26,332 before grounding out in his last at-bat in the seventh.

New York manager Joe Girardi was relieved that Jeter got a hit.

“It was good to see,” Girardi said.

The Yankees began the day six games out of the second AL wild-card spot, with four teams ahead of them.

Brandon McCarthy (7-4) allowed two runs and four hits in seven innings. Dellin Betances and David Robertson, who got his 37th save, completed a five-hitter.

Cobb (9-8) had his streak of allowing two runs or less in 12 consecutive starts — tied for third-best by an AL pitcher in 100 years — come to an end. He gave up three runs and four hits over six innings.

Evan Longoria hit a solo home run and had RBI grounder for the Rays. He has 46 RBIs in 56 games since the All-Star break.

Chase Headley and Brendan Ryan hit run-scoring doubles in the fifth that put the Yankees up 2-1. Brett Gardner hit a bases-loaded sacrifice fly in the sixth that was caught by a leaping Wil Myers at the right-field wall.

Cobb hit Chris Young on the lower back with a pitch leading off the fifth, but things remained calm. A day earlier, Jeter was hit on the left hand by Steve Geltz in the eighth, then Yankees reliever David Phelps was ejected in the bottom half for throwing a tight pitch to Kevin Kiermaier.

“It was the beginning of that inning where I did lose command,” Cobb said. “I just fell into a bad habit. It was myself not making proper adjustments. I heard the boos, but that’s just unknowledgeable baseball fans, if I dare go there.”

Cobb took a no-hitter in the eighth inning of his start last Thursday night at Yankee Stadium.

Six New York batters have hit by a Rays pitcher in the past week.

Alan Porter was the plate umpire in place of Joe West, who was suspended for one game without pay for grabbing the jersey of Philadelphia closer Jonathan Papelbon on Sunday. Sean Barber joined the crew and was at third base.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Yankees: 1B Mark Teixeira (sore right wrist) played after missing Tuesday’s game. … DH Carlos Beltran, who left the team Tuesday, posted on Facebook that he and his wife had lost their unborn son.

“It puts things in perspective,” Jeter said. “The bottom-line, family is most important.”

HIGH AND TIGHT

Girardi is unhappy that some of the recent hit by pitches by the Rays players came on high pitches.

“When you talk about pitching high and inside, I mean there’s elevated ‘in’ and then there’s throwing up at somebody’s head,” Rays manager Joe Maddon said. “But believe me, man, I would never tell the Yankees how to train their pitchers.”

JETER METER

Jeter is hitting .167 (23 for 138) with no homers and 10 RBIs since former Yankees teammate Joba Chamberlain hit him near the left elbow with a 93 mph pitch during the 10th inning of a game against Detroit on Aug. 5. Before getting hit, Jeter was batting .277 with three homers and 30 RBIs.

UP NEXT

Yankees: Jeter starts his final homestand Thursday night. RHP Shane Greene (5-3) and Toronto knuckleballer R.A. Dickey (13-12) are the scheduled starters.

“I don’t really know,” Jeter said on what his final games at Yankee Stadium will be like. “I try not to anticipate anything. We’ll find out.”

Rays: Tampa Bay begins its final home series of the season Friday night against the Chicago White Sox.

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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