Verlander (9-4) took the loss Saturday, coughing up five runs on nine hits and a walk over five innings while striking out eight as the Astros fell 5-2 to the Rays.
It was his worst start in an Astros uniform since joining the team at last year's trade deadline, with the five-inning stint being his shortest of the season to date. Verlander will still carry an exceptional 2.12 ERA into his next outing Friday at home against the White Sox.