The Padres-Diamondbacks Series Broke a 19-Year Petco Park Drought

The Padres did lose the series though.

Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports

The San Diego Padres-Arizona Diamondbacks series did not go successfully in the win-loss column, but it did go well in terms of attendance. For the first time since 2005, Petco Park sold out every game of a series against the Diamondbacks.

As Kevin Acee of the San Diego-Union Tribune noted, it likely helped that Petco Park threw a "Star Wars"-themed weekend, and even had a fireworks show one day, but the stadium still managed to sell out all three games.

While the Padres and Diamondbacks are National League West division rivals, the rivalry hasn't proven to be as strong as the Padres' rivalry with the Los Angeles Dodgers, which has prompted more sellouts over the years. With both the Padres and Diamondbacks reaching the National League Championship Series the last two years, there could simply be more fan interest in the teams at the moment.

The Padres, of course, did not play well for the most part in front of the home crowd. They lost two of their games, including a brutal 9-1 loss to the Diamondbacks in the final game of the series. The Padres also lost to Arizona 7-5 the day prior.

Their best game of the series was the first game, when they defeated the Diamondbacks 10-8 on Friday in large part due to a great day from the lineup. A four-hit game from Manny Machado and a three-RBI game from rookie Jackson Merrill set up a late win.

This sellout continues the trend of good home attendance for the Padres all season. Petco Park ranks second in total attendance this season and fourth in average fans at the ballpark per game, typically bringing in 39,978 fans each home game.

The Padres will continue their home-stand with two more home series before the All-Star Break, as they host the Seattle Mariners and Atlanta Braves.