Boston, MA (My Sportsbook) - Jacoby Ellsbury finished 3-for-4 with a home run and scored three times as Boston doubled up Kansas City, 6-3, in the third of a four-game set at Fenway Park.

Dustin Pedroia also collected three hits and drove in a run for the Red Sox, who won their sixth consecutive game, all on their current homestand.

Jason Varitek homered among his two hits, while Julio Lugo hit safely twice, knocked in a run and also scored once.

Bartolo Colon (1-0) who made his season and Boston debut, went five innings in the win, allowing six hits and a pair of runs with four strikeouts and two walks.

"I thought early there were a couple of misfires but for the majority of the his pitches, he commanded," said Sox manager Terry Francona of his starter. "He threw his two-seamer, four-seamer all but maybe nine or 10 pitches and had good movement."

Joey Gathright went 2-for-2 and scored all three runs for the Royals, who have lost four of five. David DeJesus added three hits and an RBI, while Alex Gordon and Jose Guillen knocked in one each.

Starter Brett Tomko (2-5) took the loss for Kansas City, charged with seven hits and five runs over 4 1/3 frames.

Gathright used a bunt to reach base to lead off the fifth, and scored again when Gordon singled to right for a 2-1 Royals edge. However, Varitek deposited a ball into the bullpen with one out in the Sox at-bat for a tie game.

Three more runs crossed the plate in the frame, on a Lugo single, a David Ortiz sacrifice fly and a wild pitch from KC reliever Ron Mahay.

Ellsbury began the seventh with a single, stole second and scored when Pedroia laced a single to center for a 6-2 game.

Against Mike Timlin in the ninth, Gathright reached on a two-out walk, took second on defensive indifference and scored on a DeJesus single.

"Line up again tomorrow. Hopefully we get better offensive production," said Royals manager Trey Hillman on what his club can do to win a game in the series. "And if we can find a way to catch a lead, we've got to execute pitches. They have a good offensive club, everybody knows that. We've got to execute pitches. We can't miss much."

Colon started the game shakily, allowing a pair of baserunners in the first but neither scored. Ellsbury gave his club the early lead in the home half with a a leadoff blast into the right-field bullpen.

Kansas City got a run in the third as Gathright led off with a single and eventually scored on Guillen's two-out base hit.

Game Notes

Colon signed with Boston on February 8 to a minor-league deal, and made three starts for the team's Triple-A affiliate in Pawtucket, before he was called up Wednesday. Justin Masterson, who won in his start on Tuesday, was optioned to Pawtucket...Ellsbury has hit two leadoff home runs in his career, the other came on April 22 against the Angels...Varitek's home run was his 154th with the Red Sox, tying him with George Scott for 15th place on club's list...Boston slugger Manny Ramirez failed once again to move closer to the 500 home-run mark, going 0-for-3 with a walk and strikeout. He is stuck at 498.