Boston catcher Jason Varitek is greeted at home plate by teammates Mike Lowell, left, and Kevin Youkilis after his three-run home run in the first inning last night. Varitek was feeling ill all day but willed himself to play before finally leaving the game in the ninth inning.

The Providence Journal / Mary Murphy

BOSTON — Bartolo Colon spent most of yesterday afternoon lounging Al Bundy-style on the couch in the Red Sox clubhouse.

Boston’s starting pitcher then went out and spent the night impersonating his former Cy Young self with a solid six-inning performance to lead the Red Sox to a 6-3 victory over the Baltimore Orioles at Fenway Park.

Colon improved to 4-1 last night and also recorded his 150th career win. Colon allowed only one run on five hits with one walk and seven strikeouts. He’s only one of 12 active pitchers to reach 150 wins.

“He’s been tremendous for us,” Red Sox manager Terry Francona said. “You know what is really noticeable? Everybody’s demeanor is different, and he’s kind of a quiet kid. But on the day he pitches, he shows up and you can tell how much he enjoys competing. It’s been fun to watch.”

The Sox decided to take a gamble at the start of spring training by signing the oft-injured veteran. And as soon as he arrived in Fort Myers for camp, it was obvious that he hadn’t lost his zest for the game or his craft. His physique may have been a concern for some, but Red Sox management knew he could still effectively throw a baseball. That has been evident since he made his Red Sox debut May 21, after beginning the season on a minor-league rehab assignment.

“You get a guy who you didn’t have when spring training started and all of a sudden he’s in the middle of the rotation, helping us win games. It’s been big,” Francona said.

The Red Sox have given him plenty of run support during his five starts this season, totaling 26 runs in 29 innings. Last night, Boston pounded Orioles starter Garrett Olson early and often and gave Colon a comfortable five-run cushion in the first inning.

J.D. Drew continued his torrid pace at the plate, providing an RBI-double in the first inning to extend his hitting streak to 10 games. Later in the inning, with two outs and two runners on, Jason Varitek crushed a three-run homer to give Boston a 5-0 lead.

“A two-out, three-run homer was so big,” Francona said.

What made Varitek’s home run even more impressive was the fact that he was sick all day. But he willed his way through the game until he was removed in the ninth inning and replaced by backup catcher Kevin Cash.

“He was sick all night,” Francona said. “He didn’t feel well, and he probably stayed out there longer than he should have. He was struggling. He didn’t say anything to me until his first at-bat, and he wouldn’t. He took some good swings.”

Boston didn’t produce any runs in the third inning, but Manny Ramirez singled to extend his hitting streak to 15 games, the longest by a Red Sox player this season.

The lone run Colon surrendered, in the fifth inning, was a solo home run by the Orioles’ Luke Scott.

Mike Lowell gave the Red Sox a 6-1 lead with his solo homer in the sixth inning before Baltimore pushed across two runs in the top of the ninth inning off veteran reliever Mike Timlin that forced Francona to use closer Jonathan Papelbon, who registered his 19th save of the season.

“We waited as long as we could,” the manager said. “We have a five-run lead going into the ninth inning and we would rather not [use him]. He started out the inning just playing catch and then we had to get him going in a hurry. But the end result was what we were looking for.”

Colon was all smiles after the victory, saying he’s just thankful the Red Sox gave him an opportunity back in February.

“He likes to pitch,” Francona said. “He knows how to pitch and he’s faced all these guys before. If he throws the ball where he wants to, he’ll be just fine.”

So far, so good.

“I feel good,” Colon said. “But more especially that the Red Sox have given me the opportunity to come and pitch.”

jmcdonal@projo.com