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(Sports Network) - The Boston Red Sox haven't lost a home game in three weeks. The club's star pitcher, Daisuke Matsuzaka, hasn't been hung with a defeat all season long.

Both the Red Sox and Matsuzaka put their impressive winning streaks on the line when the defending world champions conclude a four-game series with the Kansas City Royals this afternoon at Fenway Park.

Since being dealt a 3-0 home loss to Toronto on May 1, Boston has ripped off nine straight victories at Fenway to improve its major-league best home record to 20-5. It's the team's longest winning streak on its grounds since a 14-game run from July 19-August 26, 2005.

The last six wins of the Red Sox' current stretch have all come on this homestand. Boston swept a three-game interleague set from Milwaukee over the weekend and has taken the first three tilts of this series, including Monday's memorable 7-0 triumph in which pitcher Jon Lester fired a no-hitter.

The Red Sox kept up their winning ways on Wednesday, when Bartolo Colon made a successful return to the majors in the club's 6-3 decision over the Royals.

Colon, the 2005 American League Cy Young Award winner who endured a pair of injury-plagued seasons with the Angels over the past two years, worked five innings and allowed two runs on six hits while striking out four in his Boston debut.

The veteran hurler received strong offensive support from Jacoby Ellsbury, who went 3-for-4 with a homer and three runs scored. Dustin Pedroia also collected three hits and an RBI for the Sox, while Jason Varitek contributed a solo home run to the winning effort.

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

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.

Boston will be seeking to win seven straight contests for the first time since it compiled a 12-game streak from June 16-29, 2006. Matsuzaka, meanwhile, will attempt to become the AL's first eight-game winner when he steps on the Fenway mound this afternoon.

The Japanese sensation ran his season record to 7-0 after yielding two unearned runs over 6 2/3 innings in Saturday's 5-3 decision over Milwaukee. The effort lowered Matsuzaka's earned run average to 2.15, which trails only Cleveland's Cliff Lee for the best mark among AL hurlers at the moment.

Matsuzaka has won three straight starts and is an outstanding 4-0 with a 2.05 ERA in five outings at Fenway this year.

On April 5 of last season, the 27-year-old made his much-anticipated major league debut against the Royals in Kansas City and delivered a gem. Matsuzaka limited KC to a run and six hits and matched a career best with 10 strikeouts in seven innings to lead the Red Sox to a 4-1 victory in that game.

The slumping Royals turn to Brian Bannister in the finale, with the right- hander hoping to extend his dominance in day games this season.

Bannister has won all four of his afternoon starts in 2008 and been downright dominant in doing so. Over those four tests, he has surrendered a mere three runs -- two earned -- and 12 hits over a combined 29 innings.

The Southern California product's last turn came at night, where Bannister has produced no success this season. On Friday in Miami, he was tagged for six runs in 6 1/3 innings and was dealt the loss in Kansas City's 7-3 setback to the Florida Marlins.

In his previous start -- a day game -- Bannister spun eight shutout innings and gave up only two hits to beat Baltimore on May 11.

Bannister's lone career matchup with the Red Sox came at Fenway Park last July, with the 27-year-old taking a loss after allowing four runs and three homers in a six-inning stint.

Kansas City had won eight of its last 12 meetings with Boston heading into this series and took two of three encounters with the Sox at Fenway in each of the last two years.