The Pirates just finished a six-game home stretch against two of their biggest rivals, the Cubs and Cardinals — incredibly important games against two National League Central Division foes.
Four of the games took place over an extended holiday weekend, and the weather was excellent for all six games. There were promotions for two of the six games, and the Pirates began the stretch with a healthy 28-22 record.
It was all set up for the Pirates to capitalize on their excellent start at the box office. Ticket sales had been sluggish up to this point, but the Pirates had some built-in excuses for that — bad weather, bad opponents, school nights, etc.