Daniel Cabrera threw a three-hitter to remain perfect against Kansas City, Nick Markakis backed him with a three-run homer, and the Baltimore Orioles snapped a five-game losing streak with a 4-1 victory against the Royals on Thursday night.
Cabrera (3-1) struck out seven and walked one in his fifth career complete game and first since Sept. 28, 2006 against the Yankees.
In seven career starts against the Royals, the right-hander who led the AL last year with 18 losses, is 4-0. The Orioles in those games are 7-0. His lifetime ERA in 714 2-3 innings is 4.89. But in 44 innings against the Royals, it's 2.25.
Markakis connected off rookie Luke Hochevar (2-2) in the third inning as the Orioles won for just the third time in 11 games. A loss at Oakland on Wednesday night had dropped them into last place in the AL East, a division they led on April 29.
The Royals, who have lost three of their last four, got only five balls out of their infield and grounded out 18 times.
After giving up a two-out double to Alex Gordon in the first inning, Cabrera retired 12 straight batters until Ross Gload grounded a single into right with two out in the fifth. After John Buck walked, No. 9 hitter Tony Pena Jr., hitting .159, smacked an 0-2 pitch for a RBI single.
Freddie Bynum, who was activated off the disabled list on Thursday and handed Baltimore's starting shortstop job, singled leading off the third and after Melvin Mora walked, Markakis hit a 407-foot home run to center. Hochevar also gave up a run in the first when Markakis walked, went to third on Aubrey Huff's single and scored on a wild pitch.
Bynum shattered his bat with a leadoff single in the fifth but was wiped out when Brian Roberts, one of the few AL regulars who hadn't grounded into a double play all year, grounded into a 4-6-3 double play.
Hochevar gave up five hits and four runs in seven innings, walking two and striking out five in his first start since being called up on April 20.
Bynum did well in his first chance to grab the shortstop job. He was 2-for-4 and handled eight chances flawlessly, even coming in on a slow roller and making a quick off-balance throw to nip speedy Alberto Callaspo in the fifth.
Royals closer Joakim Soria, who had not been scored upon in 13 innings this season, started the ninth but was lifted for Joel Peralta after loading the bases with one out on a single and two hit batsmen. Peralta struck out Bynum and retired Roberts on a grounder.