Nationals 6, Braves 5: Denard Span’s grounder to the left side pushed across the tying run and an error allowed the winner to score as Washington stunned Craig Kimbrel and visiting Atlanta in the opener of a day-night doubleheader.

The Nationals loaded the bases on a single and a pair of walks with no outs in the ninth against Kimbrel (3-3) before Chad Tracy’s groundout cut the deficit to 5-4. Span followed and sent a grounder to deep short, where Andrelton Simmons failed to make the play as Jeff Kobernus and Anthony Rendon scored and Washington chopped its deficit in the wild-card race to 4 1/2 games behind the Cincinnati Reds.

Evan Gattis busted out of an 0-for-18 slump with a go-ahead two-run homer in the eighth for the Braves, whose magic number to clinch the National League East remained at four. Freddie Freeman drove in his 100th run for Atlanta as the teams made up the postponement of Monday’s game following the tragic shooting at the U.S. Navy Yard blocks from the stadium.

Jayson Werth doubled in a run and Adam LaRoche added an RBI single during a three-run first inning as the Nationals grabbed an early lead. The Braves chipped away with runs in the sixth and seventh before Tyler Clippard walked Freeman and left an 0-2 fastball up to Gattis, who deposited it into the seats in left-center for his 20th home run.

Dan Haren allowed one run on three hits in six innings and Ian Krol (2-1) picked up the win in relief for Washington. Atlanta starter Mike Minor retired the final 13 batters he faced and ended up charged with three run in six frames.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Span extended his career-best hitting streak to 27 games, which is tied for the longest in the majors this season (Colorado’s Michael Cuddyer). It is the second-longest streak since the franchise moved to Washington after Ryan Zimmerman’s 30-game surge in 2009. … Nationals RHP Stephen Strasburg (right forearm tightness) came through a bullpen session with no issues and is scheduled to rejoin the rotation on Thursday against the Miami Marlins. … Washington rookie RHP Tanner Roark will make his third career start opposite Atlanta veteran RHP Freddy Garcia in the nightcap.