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The Detroit Tigers had a huge hole in their lineup last season after Victor Martinez tore his ACL in October, 2011 during an offseason workout.

Martinez, who hit .330 with 12 home runs and 103 RBI in 2011 during his first season as a Tiger, missed the entire 2012 campaign and the Tigers offense struggled.

The Tigers’ offensive woes weren’t necessarily due to Martinez’s absence and suffice it to say, even if Martinez had been in the lineup during Detroit’s World Series embarrassment, the series wouldn’t have been much different.

But there’s no debate that the Tigers are a much more potent team with the 33-year-old slugger in the lineup.

Martinez is expected to make a healthy return in 2013 with a fully-healed knee, and joining a scary lineup on paper, the 10-year veteran could be in line for his best season yet.

Here are the five signs Martinez will have a rebound season in 2013.

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The Oakland Athletics came into tonight’s American League Division Series Game 3 in a familiar situation.

With their backs against the wall.

After a roller-coaster regular season, the A’s found themselves facing adversity yet again, down 2-0 to the Detroit Tigers. The unexpected AL West winners would have been eliminated from the playoffs if they didn’t win Tuesday’s Game 3, but the A’s shutout the Tigers 2-0, and forced Game 4.

The Tigers still lead the series 2-1 and will try again on Wednesday night to close out the series, and advance to the ALCS.

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