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Kluber strikes out 14, Indians top Astros 4-2

By WTOP Staff

HOUSTON (AP) — Corey Kluber keeps giving the Indians strong starts when they need them.

The right-hander struck out a career-high 14 in seven innings and Cleveland halted its four-game losing streak with a 4-2 win over the Houston Astros on Tuesday night.

Kluber (16-9) allowed one run and seven hits to earn his third straight win. His previous high for strikeouts was 13 against the Chicago White Sox on May 4.

He said the strikeouts came down to executing pitches at the right time.

“I didn’t consistently execute throughout the entire game, but when I needed to make big pitches, I was able to execute,” Kluber said. “Yan (Gomes) did a good job back there, leading me through the early part of the game when I didn’t quite have that good of stuff.”

Kluber has allowed four runs over his last 24 1-3 innings with 29 strikeouts.

Cleveland manager Terry Francona said his emerging ace looked as strong as ever.

“He worked ahead,” Francona said. “He usually starts the game out establishing his fastball command; today I think he had to work into it. … But his stuff is just so late moving and going both directions. Pitching in and opening up away, there’s a reason he had those strikeouts.”

Gomes’ two-run homer off Darin Downs in the sixth increased Cleveland’s lead to 4-1.

Cody Allen got the last out in the eighth and pitched the ninth for his 21st save.

Michael Bourn scored on Carlos Santana’s groundout in the first, and the Indians went up 2-1 in the fourth when Lonnie Chisenhall scored on an error by Robbie Grossman after Gomes singled to left field.

Houston’s Jose Altuve broke Craig Biggio’s club record for hits in a season with his 211th of the year, a single up the middle in the seventh. Altuve tied the record with a double down the left-field line in the fifth.

“When I was a kid growing up watching Craig Biggio and hundreds of players more, you know Biggio is second base,” Altuve said. “He got the record. He got 3,000 hits. He’s going to be in the Hall of Fame sooner than later. For me to break the record is very important. I would like to have a career of at least 80 percent of the success that Biggio did.”

The 18,381 in attendance gave Altuve a standing ovation for about a minute before he tipped his helmet in both instances. Fireworks went off in the seventh after the record-breaking hit.

After the fifth inning, Altuve went over to Biggio, who was sitting with Nolan Ryan to the right of home plate, and shook his hand.

“It’s special for everybody, and special for me because I have known Jose for a long time,” Houston interim manager Tom Lawless said. “I saw him start at the beginning, and for me to witness that tonight is pretty special.”

Marwin Gonzalez tied it at 1 in the first with an RBI single to score Altuve, who reached on a fielder’s choice. Alex Presley’s RBI single in the eighth cut the Cleveland lead to 4-2.

Nick Tropeano (1-1) gave up two runs — one earned — and four hits with four strikeouts in five innings.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Indians: INF Zach Walters (right intercostal) had an MRI and “structurally he’s good,” Francona said. “They checked his ribs, things like that, so he’s OK there. So we know it’s soft tissue; now they’ve just got to see how he responds and I think the trainers think this might be pretty quick.” … OF Ryan Raburn (left knee) flew back to Cleveland to have an MRI on Wednesday.

Astros: Rookie OF George Springer (left quadriceps) won’t play again this season, Lawless said. Springer has been on the disabled list since July 20 with the injury.

UP NEXT

Indians RHP Carlos Carrasco will be looking to rebound Wednesday when he faces LHP Brett Oberholtzer. Carrasco took his first loss Friday since returning to the rotation in August. Oberholtzer lasted just 4 1-3 innings and allowed four earned runs in his most recent start Friday.

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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