KANSAS CITY, Mo. Phil McConkey Blue Jersey . -- Nelson Cruz has only two hits in 15 at-bats against the Kansas City Royals this season. Both are home runs. Cruz hit a two-run homer and the first-place Baltimore Orioles beat the Royals 2-1 on Thursday night to snap a four-game losing streak. Cruz homered in the fourth after Chris Davis drew a walk to lead off the inning. It was Cruzs 12th home run, which is second in the American League to the 15 of Chicago White Sox rookie Jose Abreu. Cruzs 35 RBIs are tied for second in the AL. "Hes one of the best power hitters in the American League over the past five or six years," Royals manager Ned Yost said. "Hes hit in a good hitters park in Texas, but hes got power to all fields." Wei-Yin Chen (5-2) limited the Royals to one run and seven hits over 5 1-3 innings with one walk and one strikeout. Chen, who is 5-1 in his past seven starts, was removed in the sixth after Salvador Perez walked and Alex Gordon singled with one out. Darren ODay replaced Chen and struck out Danny Valencia and retried Johnny Giavotella on a fly to right. Royals rookie right-hander Yordano Ventura (2-3) struck out nine and walked one in 6 1-3 innings, allowing two runs and seven hits. After Cruzs home run, Ventura retired the next 10 batters, striking out seven, including six straight at one stretch. "He made a mistake to Nelson Cruz and it wasnt even a mistake," Yost said. "I think he threw a good fastball to Nelson. It was up and over the middle of the plate and he ambushed it." Cruz hit the first pitch out to right-centre from Ventura, who has a fastball that routinely hits triple digits on radar guns. "We know hes got a great fastball," Cruz said. "He can get you quick. Hes got great stuff. It was one of those at-bats that I got what I was looking for. We were trying to be aggressive and he was throwing a lot of first-pitch fastballs. I was looking for a fastball." With a northwest wind blowing 15 mph and gusting up to 28, it was less than ideal conditions to hit a home run. "You could have made some money off me if youd have bet me that somebody could have gotten a ball out of here tonight," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. Valencias sacrifice fly with the bases loaded in the fourth scored Eric Hosmer for the only run off Chen. "Ventura pitched great," Giavotella said. "We just couldnt back him up with any runs." Left-hander Zach Britton, who had not allowed a run in 7 1-3 innings in his past eight appearances, worked a perfect ninth for his first major league save. Showalter elected to go to Britton after closer Tommy Hunter blew his past two save chances. "Guys graduate," Showalter said. "It was a good start and its good to know that if we need him for a given night hell be ready. Well see how it goes from here." The Royals did not have a baserunner off four Baltimore relievers, who retired 11 straight. "Our pitchers did a really good job and we really needed this win," Cruz said. "Anytime you can win a game by one run its huge. We feel like we can get something going." The Orioles, who went 1 for 9 with runners in scoring position, threatened in the seventh and eighth innings, but came away empty. Gordon, a three-time Gold Glove Award winner, threw out J.J. Hardy at the plate to end the seventh for his fourth outfield assist this season and his 58th since moving to the outfield in 2011. Hardy attempted to score from second on Nick Markakis single. Manny Machado and Adam Jones led off the Orioles eighth with singles off Louis Coleman, the third Kansas City pitcher. Kelvin Herrera replaced Coleman and struck out Davis and Cruz and retired Steve Clevenger on a grounder to strand the runners. NOTES: The Orioles recalled RHP Evan Meek from Triple-A Norfolk and optioned RHP Kevin Gausman, who lost a Wednesday start to Detroit, to the same club. ... Markakis snapped an 0-for-14 skid with three singles. ... Royals RHP Wade Davis has a stiff neck and was not available. Mathias Kiwanuka Blue Jersey . Bradley Johnson headed Norwich in front early in the second half before captain Sebastien Bassong was adjudged to have fouled substitute John Guidetti inside the penalty box. Jameel McClain Blue Jersey . And former Maple Leafs coach Ron Wilson certainly knows his pain. "Its pretty hard to coach there without allowing some of these things to kind of affect you," Wilson told TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun in his ESPN. OTTAWA -- Henry Burris couldnt pass up the chance to help build a franchise from the ground up. The veteran quarterback signed a three-year contract with the expansion Ottawa Redblacks on Tuesday, just six days after getting released by the Hamilton Tiger-Cats. "The opportunity to be a part of something fresh and new was something that my family and I just couldnt turn down," Burris said after being introduced to the media. "We had to be a part of this. This is an opportunity of a lifetime to leave your fingerprints, your footprint on a growing organization that will be around for years and years to come. "To know that we were a part of what started this, thats a great way as far as your legacy to leave a print." The move ends a whirlwind week for Burris, who was released by the Tiger-Cats after the club signed Zach Collaros to be their starting quarterback. The 38-year-old -- who was cut by Hamilton despite leading them to last seasons Grey Cup game -- should provide immediate stability and leadership for the expansion Redblacks as the CFL returns to the nations capital this season. "I really dont look at this as an expansion team," said Burris. "Last season in Hamilton we had the youngest team in the league on both sides of the ball and I was changing (diapers) day in and day out. I expect some of the same challenges (in Ottawa). "As weve seen in this league its not how you start, its how you finish and that gives you plenty of time to overcome your growing pains and to make your mistakes early on." Ottawa will be Burris fourth CFL team after stops with the Calgary Stampeders, Saskatchewan Roughriders, and the Tiger-Cats. He won two Grey Cups during his time with the Stampeders and was named the games MVP in 2008. Burris led the Tiger-Cats to last seasons Grey Cup, where Hamilton fell 45-23 to Saskatchewan. He was tops in the league with 4,925 passing yards in 2013 to go along with 24 touchdowns and 19 interceptions. In 15 CFL seasons, the native of Spiro, Oklahoma, ranks fourth all-time in regular-season passing yards (51,529), touchdown passes (324) and completions (3,672). After getting his walking papers from the Tiger-Cats, Burris was immediately approached by the Redblacks and the Winnipeg Blue Bombers. Both teams offered enticing opportunities, but apart from getting a chance to set the standard with a new team, Ottawa offered Burris something Winnipeg couldnt -- the opportunity to play in front of his family. Knowing this would be his final contract, Burris said he has a number of relatives in Springfield, Mass., who are already looking forward to making the trip to Ottawa to see him in action. "To be close enough to family where they can actually come and spend time with our family and get to know our children and also see this guy that used to be called little Henry now playing football annd living out his dream playing professional football," he said. Jameel McClain Red Jersey. "We have family that live about five hours away from here and trust me theyre all excited because now were playing at home for them." The Redblacks currently have three quarterbacks under contract that started CFL games last season. Ottawa acquired 34-year-old Kevin Glenn and Thomas Demarco through the expansion draft, and also has Matt Faulkner on its roster. It was widely believed that Glenn, who split time under centre with the Stampeders in 2013 and finished with 2,710 passing yards, 18 touchdowns and seven interceptions, would be Ottawas starter. But any question as to who would lead the team into training camp was answered when Ottawa general manager Marcel Desjardins introduced Burris as the "new starting quarterback for the Redblacks." "Kevin is a great friend of mine and it was definitely tough making that decision, especially knowing that he was going to be here," said Burris. "But this is a business and for me this is my last go-around and Kevin hes got a lot more go-arounds left in him." Desjardins said the plan right now is to head to camp with all three quarterbacks. "For us to have three quarterbacks who have started and played a lot of games in this league is a benefit to our organization," said Desjardins. "Its not to say teams wont reach out to us and we wont reach out to teams, but when we decided to make this signing we decided that if we go to camp with these three guys were probably in as good a position as anybody in the league at quarterback." Desjardins added that he hopes the signing of Burris will show other players that the organization is serious about being a contender right from the start. The Redblacks are the CFLs third attempt at a franchise in Ottawa. The Rough Riders folded in 1996 after 120 years of operation. The expansion Renegades began play in 2002, but folded after just four seasons. Redblacks head coach Rick Campbell said he looks forward to having someone with Burris experience join the team. "When we step on the practice field for the first time were not going to feel like an expansion team having players like Henry and others who have won a lot of football games," said Campbell. "Thats going to help bring us on a lot faster." Burris will be 39 by the time the team takes to the field for the regular season, but Campbell said he sees no reason for concern. "I had to compete against him as a defensive co-ordinator this last year (with Calgary) and I thought physically he looked as good hes ever looked. His arm is live and hes running around and doing all those things. If you didnt know his age you wouldnt say that hes slowing down at all." Note: The CFL announced Tuesday that free agency will begin on Feb. 11 instead of Feb. 15. ' ' '