MIAMI -- In the first two games of the 2016 season, Detroit Tigers veteran Victor Martinez has accomplished something that has not been done for over a century. Not a decade -- a century.

Coming off the bench to pinch hit in the eighth inning with one on and two outs, the 37-year-old Martinez launched a two-run shot into left-center to give the Tigers a 7-2 lead over the Miami Marlins.

Victor Martinez's eighth-inning, pinch-hit home run on Wednesday put the Tigers ahead 7-2. AP Photo/Alan Diaz

It would have been impressive on its own, but it was made even more remarkable by the fact that he did the same thing one night prior, in the club’s season-opening 8-7 extra-innings victory over the Marlins.

Twice Martinez has pinch hit during the Tigers’ interleague series against the Marlins, and twice he has homered. In doing so, Martinez became the first player since at least 1914 to hit a pinch-hit home run in each of his first two games of the season.

"We were talking about this in spring training. I think we only had one pinch-hit home run last year," Detroit manager Brad Ausmus said. "And we got two in the first two games. We’re hoping we can keep this rolling."

Hard to imagine a better way to start the season for the designated hitter, at least without more at-bats. Luckily, he’ll get those soon as the Tigers return home for Friday’s home-opening series against the New York Yankees for intraleague play.

Martinez will move back to DH in the Tigers' lineup, with plenty of confidence no doubt from his limited performance in South Florida this week.

The Tigers had previously discussed using Martinez at first base to keep his bat in the lineup, but a mid-March hamstring injury tabled that idea. On Tuesday, Ausmus was asked if he might reconsider that option when the Tigers open another interleague series against the National League's Pittsburgh Pirates next week, but Ausmus indicated that was still unlikely. The team will consider the option further down the road, however.

Other notes from the game: