Veteran pitcher Bartolo Colon, making his debut for the Red Sox at Fenway Park last night, turns in a solid effort, allowing only two runs in five innings of Boston’s 6-3 victory over the Royals.

The Providence Journal / Gretchen Ertl

BOSTON — When Bartolo Colon arrived at Fenway Park yesterday afternoon, he had a certain aura of confidence about him. The veteran right-hander was about to make his Red Sox debut, and when he finally toed the rubber at 7:06 last night, he did exactly what Boston was hoping he’d do — win.

The veteran made his first start for Boston ahead of schedule and was solid in the outing, working five innings and allowing only two runs on six hits with two walks and four strikeouts. The hefty hurler looked comfortable in his surroundings.

“I was very nervous in the first inning, like it was my first major-league start,” Colon said.

He quickly settled down, and as a result Boston won its sixth straight game with a 6-3 victory over the Kansas City Royals.

“It was a good beginning,” said Red Sox manager Terry Francona.

His teammates definitely wanted to give him a quick cushion, and Jacoby Ellsbury provided a leadoff homer in the first inning. After Kansas City had pushed across a run in the third and another in the fifth, the Red Sox scored four runs in the bottom of the fifth to allow Colon a chance for his first victory for Boston.

Ironically, his first-ever major-league win came at Fenway Park, as a member of the Cleveland Indians on June 7, 1997. He said he actually thought of that moment after starting his Red Sox tenure last night.

“It’s obviously very exciting to get my first win here (as a member of the Red Sox),” he said. “It took me back to 1997 and I reminisced about that great moment and compared it to (last night’s) great moment.”

The win culminated an interesting trip for Colon.

“I’m very excited about the opportunity to get out here and contribute,” he said. “I’m very happy with the way I pitched. On top of that, I’m glad the team gave me the support to have some success on the mound.

During the first week of spring training, Red Sox management set up a conference call with Colon and his representatives to discuss the possibility of the veteran right-hander signing with Boston. He wanted to know what opportunities were available, and without trying to oversell it, as Francona said, the Red Sox were honest with Colon.

Whatever was said during that conversation was exactly what Colon wanted to hear. He signed with the club as a minor-league free agent on Feb. 25 and reported to Fort Myers ready to impress, which he did quickly.

Management was pleasantly surprised by his arm strength, especially given the fact the one-time Cy Young Award winner has had elbow problems. During camp, Colon arrived at the park early and also impressed his new teammates with his work ethic.

“We were encouraged right away,” said Francona. “He was so compliant and has done everything we have asked. His arm looks terrific. He’s logged a lot of innings. He’s pitching his first game on May 21 and sometimes you need to catch a break, and maybe this will be our break. Everybody is looking for something and pitching is hard to find. This guy seems excited to be here, and we’re excited to have him here.”

Colon proved everyone right last night.

Even though the 2008 regular season is only in its second month, it seems like an eternity since Colon first arrived at Fort Myers. He began the season with the PawSox and was the club’s Opening Night starter, working five scoreless innings and allowing only one hit against Indianapolis.

His path back to the majors, however, suffered a detour after that start in Pawtucket. Colon injured his oblique and was placed on the minor-league disabled list. He slowly worked his way back and went 36 days between starts for the PawSox, but when he returned he was outstanding. Overall, he started three games, a total of 14 innings, and posted a 2-0 record and a 0.64 ERA.

Now that he finally has made his Red Sox debut, management will have a decision to make.

Rookie Clay Buchholz is on the 15-day DL (retroactive to May 15) with a broken fingernail on his throwing hand. If Colon continues to be productive, when Buchholz is able to come off the DL it’s likely he’ll be sent to Pawtucket to continue his development.

Colon became the eighth different pitcher to start for the Red Sox this season, and he’ll make his next scheduled start as planned.

“We say all the time that if you think you need five starters for a year, then you’re crazy,” said Francona. “That doesn’t happen very often. … We got Colon for a reason.”

jmcdonal@projo.com