BOSTON — David Ortiz at second. The game tied in the bottom of the ninth.

For the second night in a row.

On Tuesday night, manager Terry Francona decided not to pinch-run rookie Jed Lowrie for his lumbering designated hitter. The strategy worked out, with Ortiz scoring the game’s only run on a two-out single to center by Kevin Youkilis. Toronto center fielder Vernon Wells bobbled the ball, so Ortiz scored without a throw.

Last night, Ortiz once again found himself at second base in a tie game in the bottom of the ninth.

This time Francona sent in Lowrie to pinch run for him with one out.

The strategy didn’t work out. Brandon Moss grounded a one-out single to center but Lowrie was gunned down at the plate on a strong throw by Wells.

Captain Jason Varitek, though, came through for the Sox. He drilled a single to center and Manny Ramirez beat another strong Wells throw home, giving Boston its second straight walk-off victory over the Blue Jays, this one by a 2-1 score.

So why did Francona pinch run last night for Ortiz, who opened the ninth by ripping a single through the right side of the Toronto shift?

“We needed to do that. We have a lot of trust in him in his baserunning. I don’t have any doubt David can get a good secondary lead and score, [but] we ran for him because you could see him limping out there,” said Francona.

Francona said Ortiz looked into the dugout after reaching base on his single, a signal between the two that means he needs a pinch runner. Francona, though, didn’t want to risk losing him in the lineup in the event Ramirez hit a grounder.But Ramirez worked a walk, pushing Ortiz to second with none out, so Lowrie was sent in. The runners stayed put as Mike Lowell struck out. Lowrie, however, was not successful in his mission. Catcher Rod Barajas pushed him off the plate with his left leg as Lowrie slid to the outside of the plate and applied the tag.

“He might have gotten a bigger secondary lead,” said Francona of the reason Lowrie didn’t score. “He’s not the fastest guy on the team but he was the one with the freshest legs.”

Francona was unable to use speedy Jacoby Ellsbury off the bench to pinch run because Ellsbury is suffering from a sore groin.

Ortiz gets cracking

Ortiz has not had many red-hot days at the plate. He seems to have one good swing a game.

Last night, Ortiz had two. In the seventh, Ortiz got enough of a 2-and-0 changeup to get it into the wind and have it float over the low fence in the right-field corner for a homer that broke a 0-0 deadlock. In the ninth, he ripped a single off the glove of second baseman Aaron Hill, who was playing in shallow right in the hole on the right side of the infield.

skrasner@projo.com