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Yankees sweep away Royals for seventh straight victory - New York Post
4 Ways to Score Higher Social Security Benefits - The Motley Fool
Report: Bucs almost traded Gerald McCoy before release - Bucs Nation

Yankees sweep away Royals for seventh straight victory - New York Post

Posted: 25 May 2019 08:36 PM PDT

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The Yankees have spent the past week playing the two worst teams in the American League — and they've taken advantage of the favor the schedule-makers gave them.

On Saturday, they swept a split doubleheader against the Royals, winning the first game 7-3 and the nightcap 6-5 at Kauffman Stadium. The victories gave the Yankees a season-high seven-game winning streak.

So while their AL East foes tread water, with the Red Sox facing the Astros and Tampa Bay plays Cleveland, the Yankees have taken command of the division on Memorial Day weekend with 11 wins in their past 12 games.

"It was a long day,'' manager Aaron Boone said. "To rack up two more wins, you take it. It's not a perfect night for us, but to hang on and pull out another victory is big."

To Boone's point, J.A. Happ allowed a game-tying three-run homer in the opener and they played shoddy defense in the outfield in the nightcap, but it hardly seemed to matter against another woeful opponent.

Happ was masterful for five innings in the first game before Kansas City's Whit Merrifield hit a three-run homer in the bottom of the sixth to tie the game.

Cameron Maybin had three RBIs in Game 2.Getty Images

Despite the blow, the Yankees remained confident they'd still find a way to win.

"One hundred percent,'' Luke Voit said. "It doesn't matter if I'm hitting or Gary [Sanchez], Gleyber [Torres], whoever. I feel like someone will hit a home run or drive in a big hit."

Voit answered Merrifield's homer with a 470-foot blast for a two-run homer in the seventh. The home run was followed by Thairo Estrada's two-run double in the eighth, as they continue to feast on awful competition.

The offense helped make a winner out of Happ, who was coming off his worst start of the season, when he allowed six runs in just 3 ²/₃ innings to the Orioles.

On Saturday, he allowed just a bloop single to Merrifield in the first before retiring 15 in a row. In six innings, he struck out 10 and didn't walk a batter.

He faltered in the sixth, when Billy Hamilton reached on a bunt hit and Nicky Lopez singled to left before Merrifield took Happ deep.

"I'm responsible for that,'' Happ said. "I was the one that threw it. A bunt, a slap through the hole and I threw a ball at [Merrifield's] shoulders and he hit it out. It is on me and I accept that, bBut as far as how I threw the ball, I felt I pitched better than the results.''

In the nightcap, Chad Green served as the opener for a second straight appearance and again, the results were less than ideal, as he gave up a run in the first. Alex Gordon was thrown out at the plate to end the inning.

The Yankees responded in the second with five runs off Jorge Lopez, with a two-run single from Austin Romine followed by a two-run double by Cameron Maybin. Lopez was knocked out before he recorded an out in the second.

Chance Adams, called up from Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre as the 26th-man for the second game, entered in the second and gave up three runs in four innings — betrayed by his outfielders.

The Royals scored a run in the third after Gardner dropped Adalberto Mondesi's fly ball to center, allowing Merrifield to come around from first.

Gardner and Frazier had more misadventures in the fourth, costing the Yankees another run.

The two outfielders lost what should have been a routine fly ball by Dozier and it fell for a double.

"That's happened to me one other time in Detroit a long time ago,'' Gardner said. "I completely lost it after it got out of the infield. Just the time of day, dusk I guess."

Jorge Soler followed with a fly ball toward the right field corner and Frazier couldn't get to it, scoring Dozier. Cam Gallagher singled to right to make it 6-4.

After Jonathan Holder, Tommy Kahnle and Zack Britton pitched scoreless innings, Aroldis Chapman gave up a run in the ninth before he fanned Gore to end it.

"It was a little more interesting than I wanted," Chapman said through an interpreter.

But the Yankees will take the wins — and a season-best three-game lead over the Rays in the division.

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4 Ways to Score Higher Social Security Benefits - The Motley Fool

Posted: 25 May 2019 05:18 AM PDT

Social Security is a key income source for millions of seniors today, and while it certainly shouldn't be your only means of paying the bills in retirement, the more money you're able to get from it, the better. The good news? There are steps you can take to score a higher retirement benefit. Here are a few to focus on at various stages of life.

1. Boost your skills to grow your earnings

The more money you make at your job, the higher your Social Security benefits stand to be. That's because those benefits are calculated based on your 35 highest-paid years of earnings. It pays to invest in growing your skills, because the more value you bring to your employer, the more likely your salary is to go up. You can boost your skills in a number of ways, whether it's taking classes, getting a professional certification, or even shadowing seasoned colleagues and picking up on the things they do best. Boosting your earnings by even a small amount could have a tremendous lifetime impact, since future raises will be based on a higher starting number.

Man in dress shirt counting hundred-dollar bills.

IMAGE SOURCE: GETTY IMAGES.

2. Work a few extra years once your salary peaks

Many people start out with lower salaries and earn more as they advance in their careers. If your salary ends up peaking in your 60s, working a few more years than planned could boost your Social Security income if you're able to replace lower earnings on record with higher earnings. Similarly, if you took time off during your career and don't have a full 35 years of earnings under your belt, you'll have $0 factored in for each year without a salary. Replacing even a single $0 entry with an actual income figure will help you snag a higher monthly retirement benefit.

3. Delay benefits as long as possible

You're allowed to file for Social Security as early as age 62, but you have the option to wait all the way until age 70 to sign up (technically, you can wait even longer, but there's no point). Waiting until full retirement age, however, will ensure that you get the full monthly benefit your earnings record renders you eligible for. Full retirement age is either 66, 67, or somewhere in between, depending on the year you were born. Furthermore, if you delay benefits past full retirement age, you'll accrue credits that increase those payments by 8% a year. That can happen up until you turn 70, at which point that incentive runs out.

Imagine your earnings record entitles you to a monthly benefit of $1,600 at a full retirement age of 66. If you sit tight and wait until 70 to claim benefits, you'll wind up getting $2,112 a month instead -- for life.

4. Check your earnings statements

Every year, workers get an earnings statement from the Social Security Administration (SSA) summarizing their income and estimating their retirement benefits. If you're 60 or older, this statement should arrive in the mail, and if not, it's available on the SSA's website once you create your own account to access it. Reviewing your statements for errors could result in a higher monthly benefit if you spot a mistake that works against you.

For example, imagine the SSA has $40,000 of income on record for you in a year when you earned $60,000. That error could impact your benefit calculation if you don't correct it. Therefore, be sure to review your earnings statements thoroughly, and report mistakes to the SSA right away if you come across any.

Chances are, you'll depend on Social Security to some degree in retirement. Making an effort to boost your benefits could really pay off, not to mention save you a world of financial stress during your golden years.

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Report: Bucs almost traded Gerald McCoy before release - Bucs Nation

Posted: 25 May 2019 09:00 AM PDT

Not to continue to beat the dead horse here, but at least this is better than just talking about Gerald McCoy as if he's still here.

Many wanted something in return instead of just flat out releasing the veteran defensive tackle and it looks like the Buccaneers tried to do so right before they parted ways. At least that's what Pewter Report's Mark Cook is reporting.

Per Cook, the Bucs were close to a trade involving McCoy and picks in return but something happened that eventually led to the team just releasing him.

A league source told PewterReport.com that Tampa Bay and an undisclosed team were very close to a trade deal that would have sent McCoy to that team for a draft pick or picks, but the deal fell through in the 11th hour. The Cleveland Browns, which are hosting McCoy on his first free agent visit, had been the most linked team to McCoy this offseason in terms of interest, but PewterReport.com can also confirm it was not the Browns that the Bucs were dealing with in regards to a possible trade.

So there you have it. The Bucs tried, for what it's worth. It's unclear what the demands were but at least they were exhausting all possibilities before they just let him go for nothing.

As for McCoy's next move, BucsNation.com expects his new deal to be in the $8-million range with incentives and Cleveland may be the team that gives it to him. Previous reports of "offers" north of $10-million seem to have been leaked by his agent to drive up his price and negotiations.

For those still interested in the former Buc, his visit with the Cleveland Browns went "great" and is still committed to visit the Ravens on Tuesday.

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