Detroit Tigers leftfielder Willi Castro makes the catch on a fly out hit by the Tampa Bay Rays’ Taylor Walls in the fifth inning on Monday in St. Petersburg, Fla. (AP photo)

“I know I’m not a home run hitter. I was just trying to make contact and get on base, but it’s amazing to help your team win,” Castro said.

He connected off Andrew Kittredge (3-1) for his first long ball since going deep in consecutive games against Oakland in early September last year.

“It wasn’t a terrible pitch by any means. A good piece of hitting,” Rays catcher Mike Zunino said. “He may have wanted to get it a little further in but … you just have to tip your cap.”

The versatile Castro, who plays all over the field, had three home runs in 2021.

Detroit Tigers relief pitcher Gregory Soto celebrates after striking out Texas Rangers' Eli White for the final out in the team's 5-3 win against the Texas Rangers in Arlington, Texas, on July 7, 2021. (AP file photo)

“You don’t see that out of Harold a lot, but … Harold’s got power,” Tigers manager A.J. Hinch said. “He said last year, ‘I could hit a homer whenever I want to.’ Looked like he wanted to.”

Michael Fulmer (2-2) got the win in relief and Gregory Soto pitched the ninth for his sixth save in seven tries.

Jonathan Schoop hit a two-run homer that put Tigers rookie Alex Faedo in position for his first major league win, but Brett Phillips helped the Rays erase their 2-0 deficit with a home run in the sixth and a leadoff double against Fulmer in the eighth.

Phillips scored on Wander Franco’s sacrifice fly to tie it.

Faedo, a first-round draft choice in 2017 who did not pitch in 2020 or 2021 because of the pandemic and Tommy John surgery, tossed 5 2/3 innings in his third career start. He gave up one run and four hits, fanning four.

“I thought I commanded better,” Faedo said. “I know that one got away from me that Phillips hit a long way. But overall I definitely thought my execution was good and my misses weren’t over the heart of the plate, which is a huge thing.”

Schoop hit his third homer off Rays starter Corey Kluber, giving Detroit a 2-0 lead after Miguel Cabrera’s leadoff single in the fourth.