CINCINNATI -- Reds rookie starting pitcher Hunter Greene is an extreme talent. At times, he’s been must-see television. Pairing an imposing frame on the mound with a blazing four-seam fastball, fans around the league have come to expect a certain level of excellence from the former No. 2 overall pick in the MLB Draft.

His rookie campaign hasn't been without its own trials and tribulations though, and Friday’s outing highlighted that.

Following an impressive stretch of 12 consecutive shutout innings that helped earn himself National League Player of the Week honors a week ago, Greene came back down to earth during Friday night’s 5-4 loss to the Brewers. A necessary area of growth, the 22-year old has struggled to keep the ball in the yard, allowing 17 homers during his rookie campaign which is the third most of anyone in the big leagues.

That pattern remained true in Friday’s series opener.

After Greene comfortably worked through the Brewers' lineup the first time through the order, Milwaukee's sluggers began seeing his offerings much better. Greene made two critical mistake pitches in his outing -- one in the fourth inning and one in the fifth -- both of which were whacked into the outfield bleachers at Great American Ball Park.

Unfortunately for Greene and the Reds, his two mistakes were the difference.

“I just failed to execute some pitches and they capitalized on it,” Greene said after the game. “That’s a good hitting team. This [was] my third time facing them, so understanding that they've seen a lot of my pitches … I really need to emphasize being able to execute them.”

Early in the contest, Greene showed few signs of slowing down the first time through Milwaukee’s lineup. For the fifth time in his 13 career starts this season, Greene held his opponent hitless through the first three innings.

But that’s precisely when trouble began to brew.

Brewers right fielder Hunter Renfroe tagged the righty for a three-run home run in the fourth, struck with a 110.1 mph exit velocity. An inning later, shortstop Willy Adames tacked on another run, with a 437-foot blast to left-center field.

“It’s really hard to be able to execute every single pitch to where you want it to be, but trying to do that as [consistently] as possible definitely puts everyone in a better position to succeed as a pitcher,” Greene said. “That’s really what I’m chasing, is being able to be as consistent as possible.”

Greene ended up going five innings as he threw 97 pitches. He struck out six batters while walking two.

The Brewers have been a problem for Greene on the mound through the first couple months of his young career. In his previous two starts entering Friday, Greene was 0-2 with an 11.25 ERA against Milwaukee. Their first matchup came on May 5, when he couldn't get out of the third inning while getting charged with eight earned runs. Just days later, Greene was better, going 5 1/3 innings while allowing just two earned runs but suffering another loss.

As divisional opponents, Greene recognizes he’ll have to work through his difficulties against Milwaukee, as they'll continue to face off in the coming years.

Manager David Bell’s faith in his young arm has been unwavering throughout the season, and while recognizing he wasn't as comfortable on the mound, nothing changed following his latest outing.

“I think we’ve come to expect it to be near perfect … it’s just not going to be the case,” Bell said after the game. “[It’s] just part of the process. Hunter’s doing great, he’s handling everything great. Can’t wait to get him on the mound next time.”

The loss even offered an opportunity for another lesson to be learned early in his career.

“That’s just the way it goes,” Bell added. “A pitch or two away, it could have been another win and a great start. The ability to go to different pitches … fastball, slider, changeup .. being able to throw them for strikes, gives Hunter a chance every time out. Even tonight, when it wasn't perfect, I still think he got better, and he can take that into his next start.”