Jim Souhan: Go-go-going in the right direction

The Twins won again Sunday, this time beating the best pitcher in the American League, bunting and grinding until Cleveland's Cliff Lee, who might start the All-Star Game next week at Yankee Stadium, was cussing Twins pest Carlos Gomez and smoldering on the Metrodome mound like a homemade firecracker.

The Twins keep winning this way -- beating good pitchers and confounding more powerful teams with the fleetest bunch of overachievers we've seen since their "Piranhas" devoured the division two years ago.

Their latest comeback, a 4-3 victory over Cleveland on Sunday, before 30,258 at the Dome, gave the Twins a five-game winning streak and 16 victories in their past 18 games, an unexpected surge that has taken them from 34-36 to 50-38.

Going 19-4 since June 12 has brought them from 6 1/2 games behind the first-place White Sox to within one game of the lead in the American League Central Division, evoking memories of the magical summer of '06.

"The feeling is the same," first baseman Justin Morneau said. "Because everybody in here is pulling for each other."

This summer's success is proving as unexpected and pleasant as a whiff of lilac in the heat of July.

The 2008 Twins seemed bound for a rebuilding season after losing their acclaimed general manager (Terry Ryan), their Cy Young Award winner (Johan Santana), their All-Star center fielder (Torii Hunter), a workhorse pitcher (Carlos Silva), their most talented young pitcher (Matt Garza) and their underrated shortstop (Jason Bartlett) during and after a 2007 season in which a star-filled roster wilted.

"The way this team is playing is an example of how this organization does things," Morneau said. "We get good young players in here and let them do their thing, and everybody plays hard and plays for each other.

"I know Torii wanted to stay -- I texted him all winter, and he kept telling me that -- but he couldn't take half the money he could get elsewhere. Same with Johan. He told me he wanted to stay.

"Signing Joe Nathan to a long-term deal was really important. That was a sign that we were still trying to win."

Then again, as Nathan put it, "We have no idea where this is coming from."

Gomez is the prototypical new Twin. He arrived in the unpopular trade of Santana to the Mets and instantly became the most entertaining and confounding player in baseball. He might be the fastest runner in the major leagues, and his speed could take him in any direction at any time, like a go-cart with a loose steering wheel.

"I told him, 'Why do you talk to me like that? I'm just doing my job,' " Gomez said of his confrontation with Lee. "He's a great pitcher. I respect him. He's got to respect us, too."

The Indians have little choice. In the latest testament to the sweetness of surprising success -- and the sometimes-debilitating effect of high expectations -- the talented Indians are in last place and the young Twins are headed the other direction fast as Gomez goes from first to third.

"The boys are playing," manager Ron Gardenhire said.

Minnesota's boys of summer are playing with the joy of kids on a sandlot in the gloaming, hoping for one more game before their parents call them home.