WASHINGTON — Up by nine runs with Stephen Strasburg on the mound, the Washington Nationals seemed to be in perfect position to take the first of a four-game series with Atlanta and jump another game ahead of the Braves in the standings.

Then everything went wrong. Strasburg gave up four runs in the sixth inning, the Braves scored another four in the eighth and took the lead in the ninth.

Even Danny Espinosa’s homer to tie the game in the bottom of the ninth only gave the Nationals a two-inning respite before Paul Janish hit a run-scoring bloop single in the 11th inning to complete the Atlanta Braves’ wild 11-10 comeback win Friday night.

It was the Braves’ largest comeback since 1987 and pulled them within 2½ games of the Nationals in the National League East. The teams will play three more games this weekend, including a doubleheader Saturday.