Some takeaways from the Astros' 1-0 loss to the Rangers:

Incomplete Verlander: As A.J. Hinch saw it, Justin Verlander was almost incomplete on Friday evening.

Verlander could not harness command of his slider, his most frequent offspeed pitch, according to BrooksBaseball — he entered Friday's start having thrown 56 of them in two May starts and 113 in five during April.

Friday, he threw 23, eliciting only three swings and misses. Just three others were called strikes.

"He pitched either without it or had a hard time placing it inside the strike zone or for chase, whether it was a feel for the pitch or his ability to execute it," Hinch said. "Going without that was tough."

Still, Verlander allowed just three hits across six innings of one-run baseball.

"I guess that's one of the advantages of having four pitches. You can't count on them all being there everyday," Verlander said. "You have to be able adjust on the fly, and I figured out pretty quickly there that it wasn't really having a breakdown. I had to make some adjustments."

Without his slider, more pristine curveball command was necessary. Seven of the 23 he threw were called strikes and two others were swung upon and missed.

Four changeups were crucial, too. Verlander had thrown just 12 of them in his previous eight starts, according to BrooksBaseball, but on Friday they were relied upon to substitute for a disappearing slider.

Shin-Soo Choo struck out on a changeup in the first inning. Two others were spoiled foul in two-strike counts.

"That's a pitch I have been working hard on the changeup and trying to incorporate it more and more," Verlander said. "The more confident I get with it, the more I will use it, but today was an opportunity to throw it in some situations where I would more often than not throw a slider."

Verlander's fastball command hovered in the first inning, a 20-pitch frame that was his most laborious of the game, but eventually settled in. He got 13 called strikes and six swings and misses on 51 four-seamers.

Devo fastballs: Remember the mess Chris Devenski created last week in Arizona? Walks to Paul Goldschmidt and Chris Owings loaded the bases for A.J. Pollock, who eventually walked off the Astros against Brad Peacock.

In those two walks — 12 pitches — Devenski threw nine offspeed pitches. The Diamondbacks did not bite, causing some regret afterward.

"In that situation, that's something I can learn from," Devenski said afterward. "Maybe not stray away from the fastball there, because I have a good fastball too."

Friday, when he inherited the bases loaded and no outs in the seventh inning, some lessons were displayed. Sure, nine of his 12 pitches were, again, offspeed. But he went to his fastball in big spots.

He struck out Rougned Odor looking on a four-seam fastball for a crucial second out.

Jurickson Profar lifted a two-strike four-seamer for a sacrifice fly, too. Devenski allowed only that one inherited runner to score, commendable work given the mess he inherited.

About tomorrow: Charlie Morton, moved to this spot so Verlander could keep regular rest, faces Doug Fister. Fister's allowed eight earned runs in 23.1 career regular season innings against the Astros.

Morton, meanwhile, had a control-optional outing last time out. He had a 35-pitch first inning.