Dodgers have a nice trip against Reds, 3-1

Looking completely helpless for most of the night, the Dodgers literally stumbled into a victory over the Cincinnati Reds on Tuesday.

Racing home from first base on a seventh-inning double by Luis Cruz, James Loney tripped over the outstretched left foot of Reds catcher Ryan Hanigan. But as gravity pulled Loney down, his momentum caused his left foot to drag across the plate for the go-ahead run.

“I was just trying to get in there any way I could,” Loney said.

Suddenly, the Dodgers were ahead. One at-bat later, Cruz was credited with stealing home, as a pitch by Johnny Cueto sailed past Hanigan on what was supposed to be a squeeze play.

That set the Dodgers on their way to a 3-1 victory over the Reds at Dodger Stadium, only their third win in 15 games. The San Francisco Giants’ lead in the National League West was cut to half a game.

The victory offered Manager Don Mattingly a rare opportunity to laugh, which he did as he recalled Loney’s run around the bases.

“He came around third and I thought he had it easy,” Mattingly said. “Then the parachute opened up.”

With Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier still out of the lineup and the Dodgers still scuffling offensively, Mattingly acknowledged that he has started counting down the days until the All-Star break.

“I hate to say that,” Mattingly said, “but in a sense, you’re saying every win you can get, it’s another day closer to getting everybody back.”

Starting pitcher Chris Capuano wasn’t credited with the victory on Tuesday, but his performance was critical.

The left-hander held the Reds to a run and six hits, his night ending because the run-starved Dodgers pinch-hit for him in the bottom of the sixth inning.

Only two days earlier, Capuano learned he wouldn’t represent the NL at the All-Star game, even though was 9-3 with a 2.69 earned-run average at the time.

His exclusion upset Clayton Kershaw, who made the team.

“I have mixed emotions because we have another guy on this staff who should be there,” Kershaw said. “That’s a little tough to swallow for me.”

The Dodgers’ offense appeared as if it would present Capuano with another injustice Tuesday, as it managed to collect only two hits while he was in the game.

But his offensive replacement, Elian Herrera, spared him the indignity of defeat. Pinch-hitter Herrera singled to left, moved to second base on a sacrifice bunt by Dee Gordon, advanced to third on a balk by Cueto and scored on a two-out single by Bobby Abreu to tie the score, 1-1.

The game was the Dodgers’ 82nd of the season.

Reflecting back on the first 81, Mattingly said he was proud of how his team withstood Kemp’s prolonged absence.

The All-Star center fielder, who has played in only two of the Dodgers’ last 48 games, started a minor league rehabilitation assignment with Class-A Rancho Cucamonga on Tuesday.

“We kind of sustained through that until recently,” Mattingly said.

dylan.hernandez@latimes.com