DETROIT – Tigers center fielder Cameron Maybin was talking to his father, Rudy, after a game against the Minnesota Twins earlier this season. Rudy is a loyal Tigers fan now and watches so many games from his home in Asheville, North Carolina, that his son jokes that he thinks he’s a scout.

But Maybin gave his dad credit for this metaphor used to describe the 2016 Tigers team:

“I mean, this lineup, I say it's like a python. You can try to get away but we just keep squeezing, keep squeezing and we keep squeezing eventually until it seems like we kind of devour you,” Maybin said prior to Wednesday’s dramatic 2-1 victory over the Chicago White Sox, the team’s eighth straight win.

It was an appropriate way of describing the club, Maybin thought – a talented club with a hard-nosed attitude.

Cameron Maybin and the Tigers have been sizzling at the plate during their eight-game winning streak. AP Photo/Carlos Osorio

“That's how my dad described it and I was like, you're right. It's just very true. That's how it seems,” Maybin said. “When you have good at-bats, play the whole game and never quit, we seem to, more than anything, have quality at-bats and that's all you can ask for.”

It seemed that way Tuesday night, when the Tigers were relentless in their pursuit of James Shields until they finally chased the White Sox starter from the game with a six-run fifth inning. And that sort of mounting pressure was evident on Wednesday night as well, especially when J.D. Martinez strode to the plate to pinch-hit in the bottom of the eighth. There was a current of electricity running through Comerica Park when he entered the 1-1 game to face White Sox ace Chris Sale. He smashed a go-ahead home run in the first major-league pitch he’d seen since June 16.

“Right now at this time, [teams] are looking for trade upgrades and we honestly, when you break it down, we got one, when you look at J.D.,” teammate Mike Aviles said.

With Jordan Zimmermann back on the mound and Martinez returning to the lineup, the Tigers are returning two of their most important contributors, and it could not be happening at a better time.

Entering Thursday’s series finale against the White Sox, the Tigers are riding high on their longest winning streak in over two years. Not since April 29 to May 7, 2014, have the Tigers strung together such a convincing stretch of baseball. They now are in sole possession of the second wild-card spot in the American League and trail the AL Central division-leading Cleveland Indians by a mere two games.

How did the Tigers go from a middling team heading into this year’s trade deadline to a team that appears, well, very good?

A closer look at the numbers:

Entering Wednesday’s game, the offense was rolling, with a combined slash line of .316/.384/.534. According to ESPN Stats and Information. For comparison’s sake, Miguel Cabrera has a slash line of .306/.384/.544 this season, so the whole lineup has basically been producing like Cabrera during this stretch.

Furthermore, Cabrera and Victor Martinez had combined to hit .453 (24-53) entering Wednesday’s game and when both players are hitting, success generally follows. The Tigers are 35-14 (.714) when both Cabrera and Martinez record a hit in the same game this season, according to ESPN Stats and Info.

“There’s definitely a momentum factor, that I guess you could call contagious, especially in regards to offense,” manager Brad Ausmus said.

It’s not just the offensive production that has spurred the team’s recent success. Pitching has been a contributing factor as well. Entering Wednesday’s game, the Tigers had posted a 3.00 ERA and 1.16 WHIP during the streak. They had a 4.44 ERA and 1.37 WHIP this season prior to this stretch, according to ESPN Stats and Info.

Tigers ace Justin Verlander was exceptional in the month of July, earning the American League Pitcher of the Month honors with a 4-0 record, 1.69 ERA and 48 strikeouts in 42 2/3 innings pitched over six starts. And now Zimmermann returns as well after missing more than a month with a right neck strain.

“Obviously I was a cheerleader for a month,” Zimmermann told reporters on Tuesday of his time on the disabled list. “It's going to be a lot better when I am out there and able to compete a little bit."

The Tigers are hoping that he’ll augment what has already been an impressive team effort as of late. The team is encouraged by this success and optimistic about the playoff hunt, but players are not exactly shocked.

“You look around and everyone in here can play. There's really no ... I don't understand why it's a surprise. You've got Ian Kinsler, Miggy, Victor Martinez, Nick Castellanos, Iggy, you've got Mac [James McCann],” Maybin said. “We don't have a bunch of scrubs in here.”