Detroit ? Ramon Santiago is one of the smallest players on the Detroit Tigers — a smooth fielder and fast runner, but nobody’s idea of a slugger.

For the second time in less than three months, the 5-foot-11 backup infielder gave the Tigers a victory with a big hit in extra innings. Santiago’s solo homer in the bottom of the 10th on Tuesday night lifted Detroit to a 2-1 victory over Kansas City.

On June 13, Santiago hit an RBI triple in the 10th to give the Tigers a 2-1 victory over Tampa Bay in a game he entered as a defensive replacement. He came in as a pinch-runner in the eighth Tuesday but made his biggest contribution two innings later.

“I knew I hit it hard, but I was running as fast as I could because I wasn’t sure where it was going to end up,” Santiago said. “Once I saw it go out, I wanted to enjoy it, because you don’t get to do that very often.”

Santiago’s homer off Aaron Crow (3-4) was only his fourth of the year. It enabled the first-place Tigers to stay five games ahead of the Chicago White Sox in the AL Central.

Joaquin Benoit (4-3) pitched two innings for the Tigers, matching his longest outing of the season. Crow struck out Wilson Betemit with the bases loaded to end the ninth, but he got only one out in the 10th before allowing Santiago’s surprising homer over the right-field wall.

“You like to see someone like Santi get a turn in front of the cameras. He’s the underdog on a team with guys like (Miguel) Cabrera and (Victor) Martinez,” Detroit manager Jim Leyland said. “He ran into a fastball and he hit it well. That wasn’t a paint scraper.”

Detroit starter Doug Fister retired the first 18 hitters he faced. He ended up allowing a run and four hits over 72/3 innings and struck out six.

Kansas City’s Jeff Francis allowed two hits in 61/3 scoreless innings in an impressive pitchers duel.

“I felt like every time I sat down, I was right back up, the way he was throwing,” Francis said.

Fister settled for a no-decision after taking a perfect game into the seventh.

Alex Gordon ended Fister’s bid with a double.

Billy Butler eventually drove him in with a sacrifice fly to give the Royals a 1-0 lead.