PITTSBURGH — The Pirates asked their fans to wear black for Wednesday's Wild Card playoff game against the Cubs.
But PNC Park will still have plenty of blue-shirt-wearing supporters from Chicago who traveled east to watch their beloved North Siders in the postseason for the first time since 2008.
"We knew we had to go to this game," said Jill Jedd of Oriole Park, who planned to attend Wednesday's game — a 4-0 Cubs win — with her parents and brother. "I'm one of those sad diehards."
Jedd is a lifelong Cubs fan. Her great uncle was Pete Vonachen, Harry Caray's best friend who owned the Peoria Chiefs. Her childhood was spent listening to the Cubs on WGN while swimming in her grandfather's pool. Her daughter, a third-grader at Oriole Park Elementary, is named Addison.
"I've held on religiously to being a fan to a fault," Jedd said.
Wrigleyville resident Patrick Mueller has the same mindset. The 31-year-old Iowa native, who got tickets to the game with his friend and friend's fiancee, has been going to as many Cubs tilts as he could since moving to Chicago from Iowa four years ago. He resides within a block of Murphy's Bleachers.
"I always wanted to live in Wrigleyville," said Mueller, who drove to Pittsburgh from Cleveland, where he was working remotely for the week.
Wednesday will be Mueller's first playoff game in person. Jedd had been to a pair of Cubs home postseason affairs, but never away from Wrigley Field until Wednesday.
She said, no matter the result Wednesday, this season "has brought life back to the Cubs."
"Something about this year, the hope is back, the excitement is back," Jedd said.
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