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Carrasco Ks 12 in 2-hitter, Indians top Astros 2-0

By WTOP Staff

HOUSTON (AP) — Carlos Carrasco extended a string of solid pitching with his best start of the season.

The right-hander threw a two-hitter with a career-high 12 strikeouts to lead the Cleveland Indians over the Houston Astros 2-0 Wednesday night.

Yan Gomes had an RBI single in the fourth inning and a run-scoring triple in the sixth for the Indians, who remained five games out of a playoff spot with 11 to play.

Carrasco (8-5) walked one in his first career complete game. His previous best for strikeouts was 10 on Sept. 2 against Detroit, and his longest outing had been 8 2-3 innings on Sept. 7 against the Chicago White Sox.

“He was so good,” Cleveland manager Terry Francona said. “He pounded the strike zone and he had a bunch of at-bats where it was three pitches or less. He’s commanding everything, so then they started to try to get a little aggressive and he got some first-pitch outs. He pitched with so much confidence and he just attacked the entire night.”

Carrasco became the second pitcher in major league history to strike out 12 batters on 98 pitches or fewer in a shutout. He joined Sandy Koufax, who threw a no-hitter on June 4, 1964, on 97 pitches.

Carrasco retired his first seven batters before walking Jon Singleton in the third, and did not allow a hit until Jose Altuve’s infield single leading off the fourth.

Altuve had another infield single with two outs in the ninth, snapping a streak of 17 straight batters retired by Carrasco.

Carrasco said he did not think about the possibility of throwing a no-hitter — he was just thinking about getting outs.

“I felt great,” he said. “I think my changeup was really good. I was throwing it for a strike. The best ones were the last three changeups I threw for strikeouts. I think everything was good. I had great command of the fastball, curveball and slider.”

In eight August and September starts since returning to the rotation, Carrasco has allowed seven runs in 54 innings — including four in his previous start Friday at Detroit. He has not permitted a run in four of those eight starts.

“They put me back in the rotation and gave me the opportunity,” Carrasco said. “I don’t want to let it pass. I have a different mentality.”

Altuve leads the majors with 213 hits, which ties Dustin Pedroia for the most by a second baseman since 1975. Pedroia had 213 hits for Boston in 2008, when he won the AL MVP award.

Altuve said Carrasco threw an incredible game, and he felt lucky to get the two hits.

“The two hits I got, I didn’t hit the ball past the infield today,” Altuve said. “One to shortstop, a strikeout and two groundballs. If you were able to get two hits, you feel good.”

Houston starter Brett Oberholtzer (5-12) gave up two runs and seven hits with three strikeouts in 7 2-3 innings. The left-hander retired 11 of the first 12 batters he faced before Carlos Santana got the game’s first hit with a double in the fourth.

“I felt pretty good with everything,” Oberholtzer said. “My fastball command was pretty good to both sides of the plate. I would like to throw in a little bit more to righties to keep them off balance on some of the changeups.”

Gomes reached on an error in the second.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Indians: OF Ryan Raburn had an MRI on his left knee that revealed a meniscus injury, Francona said. Raburn will have season-ending surgery. “He needs to get the meniscus fixed, so we are in the midst of having that set up to have the scope, and it will be done sooner rather than later,” Francona said. “Hopefully real soon. Ligaments are good, all intact.”

Astros: RHP Brad Peacock, scratched from his scheduled start Monday with lower back tightness, will start Friday against Seattle.

UP NEXT

The Indians will send RHP Danny Salazar (6-7) to the mound Thursday in the finale of the four-game series. Salazar is 3-2 with a 2.43 ERA in seven starts in August and September. Houston will counter with RHP Scott Feldman (8-11), who allowed two runs in six innings Saturday.

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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