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Gibson rebounds, Twins beat Price and Tigers 8-4

By WTOP Staff

MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — After watching Kyle Gibson allow four runs and seven baserunners in the first two innings, Minnesota manager Ron Gardenhire said catcher Kurt Suzuki approached him in the dugout.

“Was looking at me going, ‘I don’t know. I don’t know what we’ve got here,'” Gardenhire said.

With relievers warming in the bullpen, Gibson promptly retired the next six batters.

“He bowed his neck a little bit as they say, old-school baseball, and he hung in there and got us through six innings,” Gardenhire said after his Twins beat the Detroit Tigers 8-4 on Wednesday night.

Danny Santana tripled, doubled and drove in two runs for the Twins. Gibson (12-11) recovered from a rough start to pitch last-place Minnesota to its second straight win over the AL Central leaders.

“After he took me out after the sixth, I thanked him for leaving me in there,” Gibson said. “It was good for me to get settled down and good for me to get that experience.”

Gibson won for only the third time in his last nine starts as the Twins touched up Tigers starter David Price to tighten the division race ahead of Detroit’s big weekend series in Kansas City.

The Tigers ended the night with a half-game lead over the second-place Royals.

Gibson retired 10 of the final 13 batters he faced.

“That’s the thing that separates the guys that throw 230 innings from the guys that throw 170 like I am now,” Gibson said. “They find a way to get through seven, eight innings or six innings when they don’t have their best stuff.”

Minnesota overcame Miguel Cabrera’s 4-for-5 performance, thanks in part to a costly Tigers mistake on the bases in the seventh.

With the Twins up 6-4 and Torii Hunter on first, Cabrera doubled to advance Hunter to third. Victor Martinez grounded to first baseman Joe Mauer, and Cabrera — apparently expecting Hunter to break for the plate — was caught off second and tagged out for an inning-ending double play.

“I think Torii probably saw that I could come home,” Mauer said. “I was ready to fire home if needed, but saw Cabrera off and that was a good double play.”

Santana had three hits and finished a home run short of the cycle. He also scored three times.

Mauer and Santana each added an RBI single in the eighth for insurance.

SETTLING FOR THREE

Brian Dozier narrowly missed his 21st homer in the sixth when he drove in Santana to put Minnesota up 5-4. The ball hit off the top of the center-field wall, and Dozier wound up with a triple off reliever Al Albuquerque.

“I thought it was out, but it was a good thing he kept running,” said Mauer, who watched the hit from the on-deck circle.

DOWN ON THE FARM

The Twins announced a four-year player development contract with the Chattanooga Lookouts after ending their affiliation with Double-A New Britain. It marks the Lookouts’ first affiliation with an AL team since 1987, when they were a Seattle Mariners farm team.

TRAINER’S ROOM

Tigers: C Alex Avila missed his third straight game with concussion-like symptoms and remains day to day.

Twins: All-Star closer Glen Perkins will have his pitching arm examined Thursday, general manager Terry Ryan told reporters before the game. Perkins blew a chance for his 35th save on Tuesday night when he allowed a three-run homer in the ninth. … INF Eduardo Escobar (shoulder) and OF Oswaldo Arcia (back) are both day to day.

UP NEXT

Minnesota RHP Phil Hughes (15-10) will try to become the sixth AL pitcher to win 16 games on Friday when the Twins begin their weekend series against Cleveland. He’ll face Indians righty Trevor Bauer (5-8).

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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