The baseball heavens must have been in perfect alignment over Pittsburgh this past weekend. Or maybe the Pirates are simply that good.

The Pirates snatched three out of four games from league-leading St. Louis, narrowing the Cardinals’ lead to just 2.5 games in the National League Central Division, as Major League Baseball pauses for its mid-season All-Star break.

The four-day All-Star intermission gives us a few extra days to savor our home team’s three big victories.

Saturday night’s win was particularly sweet — and dramatic — for Buccos fans. In a 14-inning skirmish, the home team battled back to tie the score in the 8th and 10th innings, only to fall a run behind again in the 14th. But second baseman Neil Walker answered in the bottom of the 14th with a single before center fielder Andrew McCutcheon launched a two-run bomb over the center field wall to seal the walk-off win.

The victory was made even sweeter because it negated an umpire’s bad call in the second inning. Starting pitcher A.J. Burnett appeared to strike out the Cardinals’ Mark Reynolds, but the umpire ruled the pitch was a foul tip. Slow motion video clearly showed it wasn’t, but balls and strikes aren’t subject to review under baseball’s new video appeals format.

Reynolds hit the next pitch into the stands for a home run — and Pirates manager Clint Hurdle and catcher Francisco Cervelli were both ejected afterward for arguing with the umpire.

And then there was that home run by Burnett in the 5th. It was the 38-year-old pitcher’s fourth career homer and his first in 10 years. McCutCheon, who hit the walk off winner, said he enjoyed Burnett’s home run as much as his own.

Sunday’s game turned into another stunning walk-off victory in extra innings.

Trailing by three runs in the bottom of the ninth, the Pirates managed to tie the score. When the Cards answered with two more runs in the top of the 10th, the game appeared lost — especially after a St. Louis closing pitcher Trevor Rosenthal retired hot-hitting Walker and McCutchen.

But the Buccos wouldn’t quit. A string of singles resulted in three runs, the winner by right fielder Gregory Polanco hitting a single with the bases loaded, scoring two.

Taking three out of four from the Cardinals shows the Pirates are capable. Having done it at the midseason break proves they’re durable. And winning in come-from-behind fashion shows they’re feisty enough and focused enought to contend for their first World Series title since 1979.

That makes plenty of reasons to proudly hoist the Jolly Roger — and to leave it up for the rest of the week.