Ryan Drese has earned the opening day start for the Texas Rangers.

Drese, who typically is all about pitching, shrugged off the honor after allowing a run in six innings in Saturday's 7-2 victory over the Chicago White Sox.

"I just want the ball," Drese said. "That's the mentality. It doesn't matter when. That's for Buck and [pitching coach] Orel [Hershiser] to decide. I look at last year and how I was able to do what I did through hard work; you could say it's earned."

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