BALTIMORE -- In case it wasnt evident before opening day, we now know why the Baltimore Orioles added another slugger to a team that led the major leagues in home runs last season. Nelson Cruz celebrated his Orioles debut by hitting a tiebreaking home run in the seventh inning, and Baltimore beat Jon Lester and the defending World Series champion Boston Red Sox 2-1 Monday. Signed as a free agent in February, Cruz lined a solo shot into the left field seats to put the Orioles ahead. He hit 27 homers last year with Texas during a season marred by a 50-game suspension from Major League Baseball in the Biogenesis drug scandal. Cruz joins a batting order that features Chris Davis, who led the majors in 2013 with 53 homers and 138 RBIs. Davis went 0 for 3 with two strikeouts as the cleanup hitter, but it didnt matter because the guy in the 5-hole picked up the slack. "It takes some of the pressure off everybody in the lineup knowing that you can pass the baton and the next guy can pick it up," Davis said. "We have to know as hitters going into the game that we can be patient, we can wait for our pitch, knowing that the guy behind us can pick us up." Cruz, meanwhile, couldnt have been more delighted. Not only did the Orioles provide him with a fresh start, but the fans chanted "Cruuuuuze!" every time his name was announced. "It was really neat, it was special," he said. "I made the right call to come and be part of this organization, be part of this town." Cruz wasnt the only player to enjoy a successful start with his new team. After missing two seasons recovering from knee surgery, Boston centre fielder Grady Sizemore marked his return from a 922-day absence with a second-inning single for his first hit since September 2011. The three-time All-Star for Cleveland later hit his first home run since July 15, 2011, which also came at Camden Yards. "Today was very exciting," Sizemore said. "I couldnt wait to get to the ballpark." Zach Britton (1-0) got the win with two scoreless innings of relief and Tommy Hunter got three outs for the save. Hunter earned the job as closer this spring after the Orioles dealt away Jim Johnson during the off-season. The Red Sox got two on with one out in the ninth before World Series MVP David Ortiz hit a flyball and Jackie Bradley Jr. took a called third strike. "Its life in baseball," Hunter said. "Youve got to earn everything you get. One-run game to start the season off against the defending world champs." Starting on the road for the fourth year in a row, the Red Sox got nine hits but stranded 12 and went 0 for 10 with runners in scoring position. "We had a lot of opportunities, we had a lot of guys on," second baseman Dustin Pedroia said. "We just hit the ball right at people. It was one of those deals where we couldnt find a way to push runs across." Making his fourth straight opening day start for Boston, Lester (0-1) gave up two runs, six hits and a walk in seven innings. He struck out eight. Orioles starter Chris Tillman allowed one run, seven hits and a walk in five innings. The right-hander went 3-1 against Boston last year, but in this one he needed 104 pitches to get 15 outs. Britton gave up a one-out double to Xander Bogaerts in the sixth and got three straight outs in the seventh, the only time all day that Boston went down in order. Evan Meek walked two in the eighth before Brian Matusz retired A.J. Pierzynski on a comebacker. Gametime temperature was announced at 60 degrees, but a stiff wind chilled many in the crowd of 46,685 -- the 23rd consecutive opening day sellout at Camden Yards. Hopeful that the off-season acquisitions of Cruz and right-hander Ubaldo Jimenez will enable Baltimore to return to the playoffs after missing out last year, Orioles fans were out in force. Until recently, games against Boston often drew as many Red Sox backers as those rooting for the home team. "Our crowd was legit," Hunter said. "That was awesome. I hope they come out like that every game for 80 more here." The Orioles used a walk, a single by Matt Wieters and a double-play grounder to take a 1-0 lead in the second. The Red Sox put runners at second and third with two outs in the third before Tillman struck out Mike Carp. In the fourth, Sizemore hit a 3-1 pitch over the right-field wall. NOTES: Dustin Pedroia got Bostons first hit of the season, a one-out single in the first inning, to extend his hitting streak on opening day to eight games. ... After taking Tuesday off, the teams meet Wednesday night. John Lackey (13-5 lifetime against Baltimore) faces Jimenez in his Orioles debut. ... The Red Sox put RF Shane Victorino (hamstring) on the 15-day disabled list and recalled Bradley. ... Ortiz received his 12th opening day start at DH, tying Don Baylors major league record at the position. Cheap NFL Jerseys China . The Philadelphia Eagles acquired running back Darren Sproles from the New Orleans Saints for a fifth-round draft pick on Tuesday. China Jerseys . Algeria led 3-0 at halftime, but withstood a stronger South Korean second half performance to claim its first World Cup win since 1982 and move into second place in Group H with one match left to play. Defeat for South Korea means it must now beat already-qualified Belgium to stand a chance of progressing to the knockout stages.MONTREAL - Without suspended scoring star Marco Di Vaio, the Montreal Impacts disappointing start to the MLS season may have been predictable. Montreal (0-3-0) directed 25 shots toward the Seattle goal on Sunday, but couldnt find the net. And then the Impact fell victim to defensive lapses as the Sounders spoiled its home opener at Olympic Stadium with a 2-0 victory on Sunday. An own goal off a Lamar Neagles header only eight minutes in and a goal from Obafemi Martins early in the second half was all Seattle (2-1-0) needed against a punchless Montreal attack. "When you look at the game in terms of possession and our ability to get in good spots and get quality crosses in, to come away with nothing — it just seems were not getting any little breaks," said the Impacts still-winless new coach Frank Klopas. "The guys worked hard and nothings going for us right now. Thats the frustrating part." Di Vaio, a 20-goal scorer last season, and midfielder Andres Romero finished serving the three-game suspensions they incurred in a skirmish at the end of a playoff game in October. Both will be back for Montreals game Saturday in Philadelphia. Without their 38-year-old Italian striker, they have managed only two goals in three games. But the hard part for Klopas, whose mandate was to tighten the defence, was that they have conceded six. Defender Matteo Ferrari said it would be unfair to expect Di Vaio to step in and solve all the teams problems right away as he hasnt played a real game in five months. He hopes to see better all-around play from the team. "We have to work hard on the defensive part — not just the four on the defence but the attitude of the team," said Ferrari. "We took six goals. Its too much. "But I want to stay positive. Its the beginning of the season and the coach knows what to do, so forget about the standings right now and just keep working." Still, it should help to have an experienced finisher. The Impact had a 25-9 edge in attempts on goal and 6-4 lead in shots on target. What was missing was someone to bury the chances as forward Andrew Wenger and midfielder Felipe Martins fired blanks for a second game in a row. Down 2-0 in the second half, the Impact went on full attack. Substitute Blake Smith nearly had one in the 84th minute, but his shot was swept off the line by Djimi Traore. "Two factors (Di Vaio) brings — fear to the other team because maybe theyre more on their heels, and maybe more confidence to our team knowing that we have a guy that can change a game on the spur of the moment," said Impact mmidfielder Patrice Bernier, who played his first home game since he was named team captain.dddddddddddd. "Thats a benefit, but still, as a team, we have to be a unit. We create chances, but maybe give a little to much to the other team. Maybe his fresh legs that can give us a spark in Philly so we come out with some points." The Sounders, coming off a 2-1 defeat last week to Toronto FC, could easily have been up by three goals in the first half. Neagle, who spent the 2012 season with Montreal before being traded back to the Sounders, headed a Gonzalo Pineda free kick out of a crowd and saw it hit the crossbar and deflect off goalkeeper Troy Perkins and into the net in the eighth minute. "It comes off the bottom of the crossbar, hits me in the arm and goes in," said Perkins. "You can sit there and say hed have been better off just watching it, but I tried to make a play and was a little unlucky." Seattle nearly had another in the 17th minute, but Perkins reached back to get a hand on Martins header. And in the 32nd minute, Neagles long low shot went off a goalpost. The Sounders struck again in the 58th minute, when Neagle passed across the front of the goal and Kenny Copper chipped it back for Martins to head into an open side with the Impact defence standing still in front of Perkins. "I knew wed absorb some pressure," said Seattle coach Sigi Schmid. "We wanted to get forward on the counter and I figured we could create some chances off that. "Its been a long road trip with the extra day, but I thought we did a good job. Perkins makes an unbelievable save on Obafemis header and Lamars unlucky when he hits the inside of the post and it goes across in the first half. But I thought we did what we needed to do." The game was originally scheduled for Saturday but was postponed a day due to fears of an accumulation of snow on the domed stadiums roof, which is slated for replacement. Montreal is 4-2-3 in games played at the Big O. "When we trained on Saturday we had a little more of a fun training session,"said Schmid. "The guys had a bit of fun with it. We just told them it was Groundhog Day and well repeat everything again." Notes: It was Montreals first loss to Seattle in three MLS meetings. . . The Sounders were without their big off-season signing Clint Dempsey due to a two-game suspension for hitting Toronto FC defender Mike Bloom in the groin last week. ... Montreal has two more games at Olympic Stadium, April 5 against New York and April 12 against Chicago before moving outdoors to Saputo Stadium. ' ' '