Tigers pitcher Justin Verlander surrendered four earned runs on five hits and one walk in four innings while striking out three and serving up two home runs in Tuesday's 6-4 loss to the Nationals.
Verlander said after the outing that he dealt issues with his slider in the loss, MLive.com reports.
"Besides the misplaced fastball, the only thing they really hit was my slider because it was horrible," Verlander said. "I just kept throwing it to get a feel for it."
Verlander hadn't been charged with a run in spring training since 2013. He had tossed five scoreless innings in two previous outings this spring before struggling Tuesday.