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Castillo steady but Red Sox fall to Pirates 9-1

By WTOP Staff

WILL GRAVES
AP Sports Writer

PITTSBURGH (AP) — Rusney Castillo drilled a sharp grounder to second base and took off. Three seconds later the future of the Boston Red Sox was standing on first base.

If the Cuban-born prospect was overwhelmed by the stage, he hardly looked it.

Nine months after defecting and barely three weeks removed from signing with the Red Sox, the rookie center fielder went 1 for 4 in his major league debut as Boston fell to the Pittsburgh Pirates 9-1 on Wednesday night.

“I’m pretty satisfied with that being my first game,” Castillo said. “Obviously I’d like a better outcome in terms of winning the game. But I was pretty satisfied with my overall approach and the way I stepped in today.”

Castillo arrived in the Boston clubhouse early Wednesday afternoon following a 10-game dash through the team’s minor league system. Following a short meeting with manager John Farrell, the 27-year-old who signed a seven-year, $72.5 million contract to spend the rest of the decade in the outfield at Fenway Park pulled on a No. 38 jersey and began what he hopes will be a lengthy and productive stay in Boston.

Though Farrell stressed the final two weeks of an otherwise lost year are simply a chance for Castillo to get comfortable as a big leaguer and that drawing any concrete conclusions is unwise, the early returns were promising. He beat out his first hit in the fourth and made a fine running catch in the cavernous left-center field gap at PNC Park an inning later.

“For his debut, first action, he didn’t look overmatched,” Farrell said.

The same couldn’t be said for starter Clay Buchholz.

The lone holdover from the starting rotation that helped the Red Sox win a World Series last year surrendered six runs, five earned, in four rocky innings. Buchholz (8-9) gave up solo shots to Gregory Polanco and Neil Walker, ending a streak of 36 innings without allowing a homer.

“The last four or five games, I’ve made mistakes during the game but didn’t seem to get hurt on them,” Buchholz said. “I just ran into a club that’s swinging the bats really well right now.”

The Pirates have won 10 of 12 and improved to a season-high 11 games over .500 (81-70) in their pursuit for a second straight playoff berth. Pittsburgh moved 2 1/2 games in front of Milwaukee for the second wild card spot in the National League after the Brewers lost in St. Louis.

Francisco Liriano (6-10) won his third straight start, allowing one run in six innings. The left-hander has given up two runs or less in 11 of his 12 starts since the All-Star break.

Polanco wasted little time drumming Buchholz, who came in riding a three-game winning streak. The rookie drilled a Buchholz fastball into the seats in right for his seventh homer of the season and first since Aug. 10.

The lead ballooned to 4-0 in the second behind a two-run double by Clint Barmes. Walker golfed a Buchholz pitch into the first row of seats in right for his 21st homer of the season in the fourth, extending his record for most home runs in a season by a Pittsburgh second baseman.

Davis ended any drama in the fifth with a three-run homer to center, his 11th of the season and 10th with Pittsburgh. The Pirates have nine players with at least 10 home runs, a club record for a single season.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Red Sox: 2B Brock Holt continues to work his way back from a concussion sustained in a collision with Dustin Pedroia on Aug. 25. Holt is scheduled to meet with concussion specialist Micky Collins on Thursday. Farrell said Holt is doing daily vision exercises and running on a treadmill but has not started baseball related activities.

Pirates: RHP Charlie Morton reported no issues a day after pitching five shutout innings in his first start in a month due to a hernia issue. Manager Clint Hurdle said he’s still hasn’t made a decision on who will start when Morton’s turn in the rotation comes up again on Sunday against Milwaukee.

UP NEXT

Red Sox: Brandon Workman (1-9) will try to end a nine-game losing streak when he makes his 15th start of the season. Workman’s only victory of the season came on June 10 against Baltimore. His ERA is a season-high 5.27 after giving up five earned runs in three innings of a 10-6 loss to Baltimore last week.

Pirates: Gerrit Cole (9-5) goes for his third straight victory. The 24-year-old struck out six and walked one while working six innings in a 7-3 victory over Chicago in his previous start.

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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