Rejuvenated Colon earns his 150th win

BOSTON -- The Boston Red Sox got five runs in the first inning, another strong outing from the resurgent Bartolo Colon and one more win in friendly Fenway Park.

They even got a three-run homer from an ailing Jason Varitek.

Boston beat the Baltimore Orioles, 6-3, on Wednesday night, the 150th victory of Colon’s career and another sign of how big a bargain the 2005 Cy Young winner has been.

“I don’t really think about the wins,” Colon, who signed a minor league contract in spring training, said through a translator. “Every start I do, I’m starting to feel a little better.”

Colon (4-1) got his last win of 2007 on June 14. On Wednesday, he allowed one run and struck out seven in six innings under a contract worth $1.2 million plus bonuses.

The 35-year-old right-hander already has more than half as many wins as he totaled over the last two injury-plagued seasons with the Angels when he was 7-13 with a 5.72 earned-run average in 29 games. This season, he has looked more like the pitcher who won the Cy Young three years ago with a 21-8 record and a 3.48 ERA.

“He’s been tremendous for us,” Red Sox Manager Terry Francona said. “To get a guy you didn’t have when spring training started and all of a sudden he’s right in the middle of the rotation helping us win games, it’s been big.”

So was the offense, which sparked Boston to its 27th win in 34 games at Fenway Park, the best home record in the majors.

Boston’s Manny Ramirez extended his hitting streak to 15 games.