Return of Detroit's Martinez Duo Should Push Tigers Lineup Back Among MLB's Best

On Sunday in New York, if you were wearing a Detroit Tigers jersey with "Martinez" emblazoned on the back, chances are you were doing damage.

The Tigers' Martinez tandem, J.D. and Victor, combined for six hits, four home runs and a gaudy 10 RBI, as Detroit hammered the Yankees, 12-4.

That two-man, all-Martinez wrecking crew was a welcome sight for the Tigers, who are chasing the Kansas City Royals and Minnesota Twins in the American League Central and haven't hit up to their potential for much of the season.

Detroit started strong, scoring the seventh-most runs in baseball in April. In May, however, the Tigers plummeted to 21st in runs scored, and they held that same slot in June prior to Sunday's outburst.

It's just one game, of course. It could also be the start of a trend that should leave opposing pitchers trembling in their cleats.

Mike Stobe/Getty Images

Victor Martinez, recall, missed a month of action due to inflammation in his left knee. The 36-year-old resumed designated hitter duties June 19, meaning Sunday was just his third game back. Judging by his 3-for-6, four RBI performance, his timing is coming around.

J.D. Martinez, meanwhile, limped out of the gate this year after a breakout 2014. On May 8, his batting average fell to a season-low .216.

He's improved that mark by nearly 60 points since. And with three home runs and six driven in Sunday, he now leads the team with 16 long balls and is second with 41 RBI.

The man ahead of him in the latter category, Miguel Cabrera, remains the Tigers' offensive anchor. Yoenis Cespedes, likewise, is enjoying a solid season, hitting .300 with an. 819 OPS.

If the Martinez duo keeps being this dynamic, Detroit could start quite literally clubbing the competition into submission.

The Tigers started their onslaught early on Sunday, with each Martinez launching a two-run bomb in the first inning against Yankees ace Masahiro Tanaka. It was the sort of eye-popping output that led Detroit to a division title a year ago, one the team hasn't showcased enough in 2015.

"It was just one of those days where you take swings and you're actually hitting the ball how you want to hit it," J.D. Martinez said, per MLB.com's Grace Raynor and Alden Woods. "There's not too many of those days, so you've just got to take advantage of them."

The question now is whether the Tigers can take advantage of a stretch that will see them play 11 of their final 20 games before the All-Star break against NL Central foes. 

Can Detroit gain some separation from the upstart Twins, who currently hold a two-game edge over the Tigers for second place? Can they beat back the Cleveland Indians and cellar-dwelling Chicago White Sox and prove they're the team to challenge the Royals for supremacy in the second half?

If they do, it'll begin and end with those big sticks. Pitching and defense rule in today's MLB, but this Tigers squad is built to succeed primarily on the might of its lumber.

In sizing up Detroit recently, MLive.com's Chris Iott took a more measured tone:

"

The Tigers don't need their starting pitchers to throw two-hitters or the middle of the order to hit .500 to compete for a division title. Finding consistency—avoiding the offensive droughts and sometimes awful starts that plagued them at times early on—will be the key to their hopes over the long haul.

"

Fair enough. "Consistency," though, is one of those words. What does it mean? In this case, it's a stand-in for "performance." The Tigers need to perform. They won't score 12 runs every day or get a week's worth of offense from two guys.

But that's what they're capable of. That's the bar. And if they can find a way to clear it more often, well, look out, American League.

All statistics current as of June 21 and courtesy of MLB.com unless otherwise noted.