The Minnesota Twins of the 21st century have endeared themselves to the public by orchestrating mind-bending comebacks and given fans something to cheer about with their four division titles.

Inside the Metrodome fans have the sense that anything is possible with the Twins during a given game and it was proven again Friday night against the Milwaukee Brewers before an announced crowd of 30,104.

The Twins rallied from a 6-3 deficit after the top of the fifth inning with a game-winning home run by Joe Mauer in the bottom of the eighth inning that pushed their winning streak to 10 games with a 7-6 decision over the Brewers.

High above right field, just in front of the giant Kirby Puckett poster Matt Jensen, 23, of Minneapolis, and a group of 20 of his friends sit in the first row of sections 211 and 212. They have sat there for a decade and seen it before.

Baseball fans, just like the players, are creatures of habit. For Jensen it means sitting in the same section for all 81 home games. Jensen has put together his own Cal Ripken Jr.-like streak, missing only one game in three years. That’s roughly 242 games he has seen at the Metrodome with his large stable of friends.

The group wasn’t always as big; in fact, it first comprised Jensen and two of his friends during the mid-1990s when the Twins were trying to slash payroll and weren’t winning many games.

The way those teams from the 1990s performed mattered very little for Jensen, who was happy just to be at the ballpark with his friends. Instead of griping about the team, he was busy forging new friendships with other people who attended nearly every game.

“Ten years ago it used to be me and three of my friends; now it’s up to 15-20 people,” Jensen said. “Sometimes we have a group of 30, it just keeps growing. The group never gets smaller.”

Jensen and his friends make an attempt to get closer to their favorite player, right fielder Michael Cuddyer, by waving to him before every game. Cuddyer in turn waves back and the personal connection is formed. Jensen said he spoke to Cuddyer once after a game and thanked him for waving to him and his friends before the game. But then Cuddyer did something surprising and thanked Jensen for waving to him every game.

Simple gestures like that keep these fans coming to every game. The small smile or head nod exchanged humanizes the player and fans revel in the acknowledgement that they are in some way important to the team.

“It’s just me and my friends up here basically to have fun,” Jensen said. “I just like enjoying a game as a group with them.”

Jensen would probably fit the description of an obsessive fan, coming to the game five hours early to get autographs, but coming to the ballpark 81 days a year is a social network for him and others.

Greg Dryden, also known as “Waldo,” a nickname he received from Twins players over the years, hasn’t missed a game since the 13th game of the 2004 season.

Each game Dryden sits in the very same seat, Section 103, Row 2, Seat 1. He comes hours early to each game to shag batting practice home run balls to have players sign later.

He said he likes the idea of being able to say he met somebody if only for a moment.

“I’ve gone as far as getting Marie Osmond,” Dryden said. “I’ll hand everybody a baseball.”

Last Wednesday Dryden said he got Randy Johnson to sign a baseball and rather than sell the signed memorabilia he likes to keep it around his house.

The recent winning streak put the Twins within striking distance of first place in the American League Central and restored hope for many fans, but not for Mike Jensen’s mother, Michelle, who said she always believed in the team.

“I think we’re going to go to the Series,” Jensen said. “I know we’re going to go to the Series because we’re looking better every day. I always had confidence in the team.”

Jensen feels joy by interacting with the other fans and making friends with more fanatics like herself.

“This whole row met here,” she said. “When you’re here every day you see people and you start talking.”

Jensen and her ballpark acquaintances had plenty to talk about Friday night after Mauer ripped a homer to straightaway center field.

The young Twins players of Alexi Casilla, Carlos Gomez, Brian Buscher and Delmon Young all contributed to the win.

Casilla hit a solo homer in the first inning to give Minnesota a 1-0 lead and after Milwaukee took the lead with a pair of home runs in the second, Gomez came around to score on a Justin Morneau groundout. Gomez used his scorching speed to reach base on a bunt single. Young added an RBI single in the fifth to make the game 6-5 and Buscher delivered an RBI single in the seventh to tie the game.

The speed and enthusiasm Gomez plays the game with has fans excited about the team again.

“I like Gomez,” Mike Jensen said. “He’s a young speed guy. Just look at him before a game in the dugout. He’s slapping Casilla with a high five or a dance before he goes on the field. It just looks like he’s playing the game to have fun.”

Gomez, 22, and Casilla, 23, have given Minnesota a charge at the top of the order.

“We know how to play as professionals,” Gomez said. “We have a lot of experience in the minor leagues. We’ve got the tools to play the game.”

They have certainly shown that as the season has gone on after many predicted the team to finish fourth in the division.

Friday’s game was a reminder that nothing beats the rising roar of a crowd when the Twins hit an improbable game-winning home run after trailing 6-3. And every night it seems like they can conjure up some magic playing at home in front of the fans.