PHOENIX -- Sometimes a particular pitch can prove elusive for a pitcher to master consistently. Madison Bumgarner talked often about how his feel for the changeup would come and go, but mostly go.

For D-backs lefty Tommy Henry, the slider has been an offering he’s been trying to get a better feel of for the better part of a year. Recently, he has worked overtime with pitching coach Brent Strom on trying to nail down the pitch.

They’ve tried different grips, and recently things began to click.

“I didn’t really throw my slider all year until today, basically,” Henry said. “I have, but it’s been sprinkled in there. I just was [tinkering] with the grip and I’ve finally felt confident enough in the grip for probably the past week to really let it rip and trust it in games. I’ve been having trouble with it backing up on me or just spinning. Tonight, I was getting consistent slider action. I started to see it, believe in it a little bit more and roll with it. Up until today, the slider has not really been in the mix very much.”

The D-backs didn’t come away with a win on Thursday, instead falling, 6-2, to the Giants, but one of the young starters they’re going to be counting on heavily this year, took a big step forward, which means the night was not a total loss.

Henry allowed just two runs, both of which came on a Casey Schmitt homer in the second inning, over 6 2/3 innings.

The confidence that Henry began feeling was evident to Arizona manager Torey Lovullo.

“I think he was commanding the fastball. He was getting some really weak contact on the secondary stuff,” Lovullo said. “And I could just tell his mound presence and his demeanor was like, ‘Let's get the ball back in my hands, let's go to work and let's keep making pitches.’ And you know, it's a good moment for a young pitcher to get that feeling.”

Something else that Strom has talked to Henry about is not necessarily throwing his fastball at max effort. By backing off the velocity a bit, it might improve his command and therefore make the offering better.

On Thursday, Henry’s four-seam fastball maxed out at 93.1 mph and averaged just 90.7.

“It’s kind of been a conversation we’ve been having,” Henry said. “You pitch the best when you know who you are. Sometimes we all aren’t meant to throw 99 or chase the big velo. So learning who I am and what makes me best -- it would be nice to have the 99, but I think I’ve seen that when I’m getting ahead and when we’re pounding the strike zone, that’s when the best success comes, whether it’s at 91 or 95. That’s been the main focus, and if there’s a sacrifice to a little bit of velo to get that, we’ll take it.”

In addition to velocity, strikeouts are also what most pitchers chase. Obviously the more strikeouts a pitcher records, the fewer balls that are put into play, and that lessens the chances of home runs, seeing-eye hits, etc.

But the D-backs will more than gladly take Henry striking out just two batters like he did Thursday if he gets results like these.

“I’ll take outs any way they come,” Henry said. “Strikeouts are fun. I can probably do a better job executing two-strike pitches, you know, those borderline pitches that aren’t going to get contact, may be balls, but they’re going to get the swings. I could probably do a better job executing those. But, hey, I’ll take the outs as they come.”