Manny Ramirez, left, and Kevin Youkilis celebrate Wednesday's 2-1 Red Sox win. (Winslow Townson/Associated Press)

For the second straight night, the Boston Red Sox beat the Toronto Blue Jays on a walkoff single.

Jason Varitek singled in Manny Ramirez with the winning run in the bottom of the ninth inning as the hometown Red Sox nipped the Blue Jays 2-1 at Fenway Park on Wednesday night.

Ramirez slid in ahead of the throw to home plate from Blue Jays centre-fielder Vernon Wells, who gunned down Jed Lowrie at the plate on the previous play — a single by Brandon Moss.

"It was just like last night," Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said. "They had the last at-bat."

On Tuesday night, Wells misplayed the single from Kevin Youkilis that delivered David Ortiz with the decisive run in the bottom of the ninth of a 1-0 win for the Red Sox (17-12).

"It is important to be able to win games like the last two once in a while," Red Sox manager Terry Francona said.

Jonathan Papelbon (2-0) earned with the win, as he did Tuesday, in relief of Boston starter Daisuke Matsuzaka, who baffled the Blue Jays over seven scoreless innings.

Matsuzaka scattered two hits, walked two batters and struck out four.

"Our pitching has managed to keep us right there and allow one big hit or two to win a game for us," Francona said.

Toronto starter Dustin McGowan lasted 7 1/3 innings, giving up just four hits, including a solo home run to Ortiz in the seventh.

McGowan walked one and struck out five.

Reliever Scott Downs (0-1) was tagged with the loss.

Fredericton's Matt Stairs had two hits and Alex Rios had the run batted in for the Blue Jays (11-17), losers in 11 of their last 14 outings.

Trailing 1-0 in the eighth inning, Adam Lind singled off reliever Manny Delcarmen, took third base on Gregg Zaun's double, and scored on Rios's sacrifice fly off Hideki Okajima.

With files from the Canadian Press