Opposite dugout: Twins have been one of baseball's most pleasant surprises in 2015

Manager: Paul Molitor (1st season)

Record: 43-39

Last 10 games: 5-5

Who to watch: 1B Joe Mauer (.275, 41 RBIs), LF Torii Hunter (12 HR, 45 RBIs), 2B Brian Dozier (40 RBIs), 3B Trevor Plouffe (10 HR, 43 RBIs), RHP Kyle Gibson (6-6, 3.04 ERA), RHP Glen Perkins (1.31 ERA, 27 saves)

Season series vs. Orioles: First meeting (3-3 in 2014)

Pitching probables:

July 6: LHP Wei-Yin Chen vs. RHP Phil Hughes, 8:10 p.m. MASN2
July 7: RHP Kevin Gausman vs. RHP Kyle Gibson, 8:10 p.m. MASN2
July 8: RHP Ubaldo Jimenez vs. LHP Tommy Milone, 1:10 p.m., MASN

Inside the Twins:

When the Twins bounced longtime manager Ron Gardenhire last season after his fourth straight season of 90 or more losses, most assumed it signaled the start of a massive rebuild in Minnesota. As recently as 2010, the Twins were a 94-win team that went to the postseason, but the franchise was spiraling and in need of new blood. The Twins chose Hall of Famer Paul Molitor, a rookie skipper, to replace Gardenhire and started to dip into a fertile farm system for some of the highly rated prospects that come with teams that struggle to eclipse 70 victories.

Pretty much everyone was prepared for some growing pains under Molitor, and few expected the Twins to be one of this season's feel-good stories. They're firmly entrenched in second place in the American League Central, just 4 1/2 games behind the division-leading Royals and seem to be gaining more and more confidence. Teams that aren't expected to produce and suddenly do can be dangerous for a number of reasons, mainly because they don't know they're not supposed to be successful. Molitor has been a revelation, as capable of relating to his veteran players as he is to the youngsters and role players who have performed so well. He's a strong early candidate for AL Manager of the Year honors.

Look at where the Twins rank among major league teams in key offensive and pitching categories, however, and it's hard to figure how they're doing so well. Their best ranking in the majors in any category comes in saves, where they're third with 29. But they're 14th in runs (340), 18th in average (.250) and slugging percentage (.391), 23rd in home runs (66), 14th in ERA (3.86) and dead last in strikeouts (485). Smoke and mirrors, anyone?

So what's gone right at Target Field? Right fielder Torii Hunter re-signed with his original club as a free agent and is playing more like a 25-year-old than a guy in his 19th major league season. He's batting .262 with 12 homers and a team-high 45 RBIs, and has provided substantial leadership. Workmanlike guys like third baseman Trevor Plouffe (10 homers, 43 RBIs) and second baseman Brian Dozier (team-leading 16 homers with 40 RBIs) aren't flashy, just effective. Joe Mauer may never be cracking the .350 barrier any more, and he's on pace to struggle to reach double digits in homers, but he's a steadying influence and has learned to play a decent first base; he's driven in 41 runs). Remember the names of center fielder Byron Buxton and third baseman Miguel Sano - they're the future. And there are more where they came from.

On the mound, the Twins are definitely a sum-of-the-parts team. Righty Ricky Nolasco was mowing foes down - winning five of his first six decisions over seven starts - until going on the DL at the end of May with an ankle injury. No worries, because the Twins possess pitching depth. Right-hander Tommy Milone has ridden the shuttle between Minnesota and Triple-A Rochester this season, but is 4-1. And other pitchers are pitching in. Closer Glen Perkins ended last season with a sore elbow and has 27 saves, tied with Pittsburgh's Mark Melancon for the major league lead, to go along with a 1.31 ERA and an 0.90 WHIP.

Right-hander Phil Hughes gets the call for the Monday night opener, and the O's are quite familiar with him from his long tenure with the Yankees. Hughes has won three straight starts and is coming off a 3-2 June with a 3,76 ERA. He's gone six or more innings in 10 of his past 11 starts, giving the Twins the kind of length you'd expect from a veteran. But home runs have been an issue - a big one, in fact. In 105 1/3 innings this season, Hughes has been touched for 19 longballs (he gave up only 16 in 209 2/3 innings in 2014). Opponents are hitting .280 against him, but only .238 at home, and he's 5-2 with a 3.76 ERA this season at Target Field. Almost two-thirds of his pitches are fastballs, and his heater tops out at 94 mph. Hughes also throws a slow curve and a moving cutter. In his career against Baltimore, he's 8-5 with a 4.67 ERA in 22 games (19 starts).

Right-hander Kyle Gibson, who starts Tuesday, is coming off a gem at Kansas City on July 2 in which he allowed four hits and walked four over eight scoreless innings. But mostly he's been up and down, even though he's got some pretty impressive numbers. In April, Gibson has a 4.84 ERA, followed by a 1.36 mark in May and a 4.70 in June. At home, he's 3-3 with a 2.92 ERA, and he's yielding a .244 average to foes this season. Unlike May, runners on base don't seem to bother him, as his .181 opponent average with runners in scoring position demonstrates. He mixes a 92 mph fastball that dominates his repertoire with an 85 mph slider and an 84 mph changeup. In his career against the Orioles, he's made one start without a decision, working to a 1.80 ERA.

Milone, who starts the getaway day game Thursday afternoon, isn't going to wow anyone with heat - not with a fastball that tops out at 91 mph. He's more of a location specialist, utilizing the ability to work up and down, in and out as he confuses hitters with precision and changing speeds. Since mid-June, Milone has pitched particularly well, posting five consecutive quality starts. At Kansas City on July 3, he yielded a run on five hits over six innings, throwing a season-high 105 pitches. He's 3-1 with a 4.43 ERA at home, and 2-0 with a 1.88 ERA in day games. He holds left-handed hitters to a .153 average, but right-handed hitters hit him at a .292 clip. Opponents have a .330/.378/.473 line against him at Target Field, however. Three of the eight homers he's allowed have come in the first inning, when foes slash .286/.375/.500 against him. From his 31st to 45th pitches, opponents own a .367/.457/.400 line. Milone has had success in his career against Baltimore, albeit in a small sample size: In three games, he's 1-1 with a 1.89 ERA.