O.C. Register, Jeff Miller:

Vladimir Guerrero hasn’t done it in 105 at-bats. Gary Matthews Jr. hasn’t done it since June 17. The Angels, as a group, haven’t been doing it at all lately.

But Luis Castillo did it Saturday, with great flair, timing and recognition.

Turns out, this team has been going about things all wrong. Instead of calling up minor-leaguers from Salt Lake City, the Angels should be relying on Pony Leaguers from Tustin.

They beat the Detroit Tigers largely because of a home run produced by an 11-year-old.

“Thank you,” reliever Scot Shields said in reference to Castillo. “That was awfully nice of him. It was a great catch.”

The score was tied 3-3 in the eighth inning with two runners on when Garret Anderson came up. Detroit’s outfielders were playing deep. Castillo was playing even deeper.

Anderson sent a Tim Byrdak pitch to the top of the wall in right-center. As Magglio Ordonez was preparing to play the carom, Castillo reached out and backhanded the ball. He did so brilliantly — and blindly.

“I turned my head,” the rookie explained of his dazzling big-league debut. “I didn’t want the ball to hit me in the face.”

After Anderson circled the bases and the fireworks had been detonated, the Tigers argued that Castillo had extended his glove into the field of play, suggesting the ball would not have made the stands on its own.

The umpires gathered briefly and decided to stand by their call.

Television replays hinted that the Tigers had a point. Castillo, even as the Angels’ starting designated catcher, flatly said Detroit did.

“I don’t think it was going to be a home run,” he admitted. “I reached over.”

How’s that for candor? In this era of the controversial slugger, with suspicion clouding every long drive, here was some genuine home run honesty. And it took a grade-schooler to provide it.

Naturally, the Angels sided with the umpires, but they also appreciated Castillo’s effort and aggressiveness, which could have earned him a bold glove. Frankly, his play was one of the finest made in all of professional baseball Saturday.

When Anderson hit the ball, Castillo wasn’t even wearing his glove. He put it on while sliding over three seats, then positioned himself expertly to make the grab.

“For an 11-year-old, he showed great range and some great poise under pressure,” Angels manager Mike Scioscia said. “He had to circumvent a lot of people to get there. He took a great route to that ball … but I still think it was a home run.”

The moment was colossal, a 3-3 tie ballooning into a 6-3 Angels lead. As if a cork had been popped, they then scored four more runs — including another homer, by Orlando Cabrera — to bury the Tigers, 10-3.

Realize that the two home runs in the inning matched the total the Angels had hit in their previous 19 games. This is a team that, in order to go deep lately, has needed the wind to be blowing out — all the way to Fullerton.

“That was a big at-bat,” Reggie Willits said. “Those runs were enormous. He came up big.”

He, meaning Anderson? Or he, meaning Castillo?

“I’m talking about Garret,” Willits said.

OK, fine. But who needs Mark “Big Tex” Teixeira now? The Angels have Luis “Little Bart” Castillo.