Justin Verlander took a no-hitter into the fifth inning of Sunday's exhibition game against the Washington Nationals.

"Where I'm at today, if I take that into Opening Day, I like -- or whenever my start is -- I like my chances," Verlander said.

Caught talking about Opening Day, Verlander admitted that he wants the ceremonial start, but the decision is in the hands of Brad Ausmus.

"I'm not going to campaign," Verlander said. "That's Brad's [Ausmus, Tigers manager] decision. Hey, I'm one of five guys. Do I want to start Opening Day? Absolutely. I have for the last six years. Do I want to keep that going? Absolutely. I think if you ask any of our starters if they want to throw Opening Day, the answer's yes."

The decision is expected to come down to Verlander and Max Scherzer.