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Joey Votto’s heel turn into the bewildering enemy of baseball fans got a jolt from a nearly paternal show of disappointment on Tuesday.

The Reds star first baseman, whose interactions with fans most recently included telling a ball-seeking kid in San Francisco, “This isn’t a Make-A-Wish situation,” turned on one of his own in the seventh inning of the Reds’ 7-5 win over the Cardinals in Cincinnati.

Down 3-2, the Reds forced a Stephen Piscotty pop-up down the first-base line. Votto wedged his body into the stands and did a little leap for the would-be first out of the inning.

The gentleman in the front row, however, appeared to make contact with Votto, and the ball bounced harmlessly away. A defeated Votto looked at his empty glove. Looked at the ball bounding away. Looked at the man 1 foot away, and the jersey he was wearing — a Reds fan.

Votto snatched the man’s jersey — the soul of his baseball fandom made tangible in fabric form — and stared at it for a beat. Then he pushed the jersey away in disgust and trudged back to his position.

Such outward venom to a fan of his team was stunning — and short-lived. Votto made things right, signing a ball for the interferer, but we’ll always have his knee-jerk reaction — as if his son had just stomped on his heart.