CINCINNATI — The shackles came off and Justin Verlander aced it.

Simply, the Mets needed this kind of performance. A hurting starting rotation found its ace Wednesday night, bringing temporary relief to a team skidding in the wrong direction.

In his second start off the injured list, Verlander provided the Mets with seven strong innings in a 2-1 victory over the Reds at Great American Ball Park, halting the team’s three-game losing streak.

The victory was just the Mets’ fourth in their past 16 games.

Asked what he had collected as a souvenir from his first career Mets win, Verlander was thrown for a loop.

“Good question: nothing,” Verlander said. “I’m going to get something. I am going to work on that. I am going to get a ball, for sure.”

Verlander, at 91 pitches, returned to the mound for the seventh inning and recorded three straight outs to punctuate his night.

Overall he allowed one earned run on two hits (none after the first inning) with seven strikeouts and two walks.

Adam Ottavino and David Robertson combined to pitch the final two innings scoreless on a night the Mets wasted opportunities by leaving 11 runners on base.

The Mets welcomed the 104-pitch outing from Verlander. Last Thursday, in his first start off the IL — he missed five weeks rehabbing from a strained teres major muscle — he was removed after 79 pitches in Detroit. In that start he allowed consecutive homers in the first inning but finished with four scoreless frames.

“He feels good physically,” manager Buck Showalter said. “It’s good to get him to the seven-inning mark and to 100 [pitches]. That bodes well down the line.”

Verlander said he had a conversation with pitching coach Jeremy Hefner before going out for the seventh and was assured he could extend to at least 105 pitches if needed.

“I know there hasn’t been a lot of length recently, and hopefully that comes,” Verlander said, referring to a Mets rotation that has been besieged by short appearances from starters. “Your job as a starting pitcher, when it’s your day and you know the bullpen has been a little taxed, is to go out there and eat some innings, and hopefully quality innings. It felt great, and hopefully it can jump-start our rotation and just win some games.”

Verlander surrendered an RBI double to Jake Fraley in the first inning but escaped with a 1-0 deficit as Francisco Alvarez threw out Tyler Stephenson on a delayed attempt to steal second base.

Jonathan India’s single leading off got the Reds’ rally started.

Pete Alonso’s second homer in as many nights tied it 1-1 in the second.

The blast was Alonso’s 13th this season, which leads the major leagues. Alonso began the night tied for first in homers with the Dodgers’ Max Muncy.

Brandon Nimmo delivered an RBI single in the fourth that gave the Mets a 2-1 lead. Luis Guillorme stroked a two-out double against Hunter Greene, and Alvarez’s walk extended the inning before Nimmo singled in the run.

Nimmo also singled in the third inning but was running when Francisco Lindor hit a line drive to third base that turned into a double play.

Verlander received defensive help in the fourth and fifth innings. In the fourth, Brett Baty leaned over the railing in front of the third-base dugout to grab Nick Senzel’s pop-up for the final out. In the fifth, Jeff McNeil’s sliding catch deprived Henry Ramos of a hit.

Verlander retired 10 straight batters to complete his night. The right-hander averaged 94.4 mph with his four-seam fastball, topping out at 96.9.

“To be honest, the first few innings felt like a little bit of a grind, and once I settled in I felt normal,” Verlander said.

The Reds were the only MLB team Verlander hadn’t beaten in his career, but now that box is checked on his Hall of Fame résumé.

“Anytime you do something that not many people in this game have done, it’s pretty cool,” Verlander said. “The reason I like it more than anything is my compadre David Robertson didn’t mention it in the postgame when he gave me the pitcher of the game, so I got to give him a hard time about that, which I really enjoyed.”