CINCINNATI -- For the Astros to make a deep postseason run, they’ll need Justin Verlander to be healthy and firing on all cylinders. For now, the three-time Cy Young Award winner is working to regain his form after two stints on the injured list.

“I’m trying to be realistic with myself and knowing that I’ve been shut down for a while,” Verlander said. “That’s what Spring Training is for, to work out kinks. It’s hard to do it midseason, especially when guys are in midseason form and you’re not.”

On Monday, Verlander made his 13th start of the season and third since coming off the IL on Aug. 21. At times, it was more of a struggle than the first two.

Verlander (3-5) allowed five runs on eight hits in 4 2/3 innings with three strikeouts, and he tied a season high with four walks in the Astros’ 5-3 loss to the Reds at Great American Ball Park, which snapped Houston’s five-game winning streak.

Verlander made his first start on April 19 after beginning the season on the IL with right shoulder inflammation, then he missed more than two months with neck discomfort.

The nine-time All-Star is balancing his workload between starts while also trying to make changes to improve his performance. It’s not the easiest thing to do when you have a track record like Verlander’s.

“I’m not a patient person,” Verlander said. “It is difficult for me not to do too much. I know when I’m right on the mound. I’m constantly striving to get to that level, and I’m not there. Lots of sleepless nights. That’s why I’m trying to be fair and giving myself more margin for error than I normally would.”

On Monday, Verlander walked the first three batters to load the bases in the first inning, then allowed a run on TJ Friedl’s sacrifice fly and another on Ty France’s RBI single to put the Reds ahead, 2-0.

“The walks are very uncharacteristic of him,” Astros manager Joe Espada said. “The first inning, he kind of missed some pitches out over the edges. But then he settled and threw the ball very well.”

Chas McCormick, who was recalled on Monday when Jake Meyers went on the paternity list, doubled and scored as the Astros tied the score at 2-2 in the third on Yainer Diaz's two-run single.

It was McCormick’s first at-bat since his two-run homer in Philadelphia on Wednesday.

“His at-bats were a lot better,” Espada said. “He had the double, then hit the ball very hard to center.”

Verlander worked out of jams in the third and fourth. But he wasn’t as fortunate in the fifth, when Santiago Espinal’s two-out bloop single to right drove in two runs, giving the Reds a 4-2 lead.

“You try to make some adjustments in-game and try to keep your team in the game,” Verlander said. “Felt like I could have done that. Unfortunately, a soft ground ball and a blooper really killed us. It’s frustrating.”

Verlander eclipsed the 100-pitch mark in the fifth, and Espada gave him an opportunity to get through the inning. Verlander finished with 107 pitches (58 strikes).

“I wanted to make sure he had more gas in the tank, which I thought he did,” Espada said. “He made a good pitch to Espinal, then a flare to right field. He earned the chance to finish the inning right there. Just didn’t go his way.”

The Astros brought the tying run to the plate in the ninth, but Emilio Pagán fanned Jose Altuve, and Justin Wilson got Yordan Alvarez to line out to center.

The Astros have lost each of Verlander’s three starts since he came back. But Verlander is trusting the process, with the ultimate goal to have him throwing well heading into October.

“We have to be smart with what we do with him between starts,” Espada said. “The plan is for him to help us out in September. He’s working hard between starts. He’s making some changes. He’s adjusting to not having pitched in a while.”