On August 2, 1987 — When Eric Davis’ bat made contact Sunday afternoon, San Francisco Giants reliever Jeff Robinson didn’t bother to follow the flight of the ball. “You know that sound,” Robinson said simply, drearily. Years from now, people who were there, and even some people who weren’t, will recall that sound, that flight, that place where it hit. It hit the concrete facing of the upper deck in left field at Riverfront Stadium. How far is it? Estimates begin at 500 feet. What did it do? In dramatic and sudden fashion, it propelled Cincinnati to a 5-4, 11-inning victory over the Giants that proved, if nothing else, that the Reds have a little Humm-Baby in them as well. Before the largest Riverfront crowd since opening day (44,368), with air temperature 95 degrees and on-field temperature measured at 140, Davis led off the bottom of the 11th and got ahead on the count, 2-1. “He tried to get me on a couple of split-fingers but they missed,” Davis said. “I figured that he didn’t want to throw another split-finger because he didn’t want to fall behind in the count at 3-1.” Robinson said he wanted to throw a sinking fastball. It didn’t sink. “It was right down the middle of the plate,” Davis said. Davis stopped and admired his blast, barely moving until it hit the concrete facing.

Davis becomes the seventh and earliest player to join the 30-30 club no one had ever accomplished the feat with still nearly two months left to play in the season.

@ET-DC@eyJkeW5hbWljIjp0cnVlLCJjb250ZW50IjoicG9zdF90YWdzIiwic2V0dGluZ3MiOnsiYmVmb3JlIjoiTGVhcm4gTW9yZSBhYm91dCB0aGUgdGVhbXMsIHBsYXllcnMsIGJhbGwgcGFya3MgYW5kIGV2ZW50cyB0aGF0IGhhcHBlbmVkIG9uIHRoaXMgZGF0ZSBpbiBoaXN0b3J5IC0gLSAtIC0gLSAtIC0gIiwiYWZ0ZXIiOiIiLCJsaW5rX3RvX3Rlcm1fcGFnZSI6Im9uIiwic2VwYXJhdG9yIjoiIHwgIiwiY2F0ZWdvcnlfdHlwZSI6InBvc3RfdGFnIn19@