Sean Doolittle was a perfect 21 for 21 converting save opportunities with the Nationals before he took the mound with a 4-2 lead in the ninth Thursday night in Washington, D.C.
Two pitches later, the 31-year-old closer was 21 for 22. Andrew McCutchen hit a first-pitch fastball to left for a single, and Josh Bell followed with a two-run shot to left on the first pitch he saw as the Pittsburgh Pirates tied things up at 4-4.