Dustin Mc Gowan - 2007 Season

2007 Season

McGowan would have been eligible to be claimed off waivers had he not made the 2007 Blue Jays 25-man roster out of Spring Training, but the Blue Jays were granted another minor-league option year for him. This enabled the team to send McGowan back to the minors, if necessary, without exposing to waivers during the 2007 season.

McGowan started the 2007 season impressively for the Syracuse Chiefs. Despite an 0–2 record at the end of April, he had a 1.64 ERA and 29 strikeouts in 22 innings. This led to a call-up to the Blue Jays rotation in early May after an injury to Gustavo Chacín. On June 19, 2007, he was rocked for six runs on 8 hits over one and two-thirds innings in a 10–1 Jays defeat, and took the loss. He would redeem himself in his next start on June 24, 2007, as he had a no-hitter in the first 8 innings against the Colorado Rockies at Rogers Centre, allowing only an 0–1 single to the first batter he faced in the ninth, designated hitter Jeff Baker, making him just the 6th pitcher in franchise history to carry a no-hitter into the 9th inning. He went on to record a shutout, the first of his career as well as his first complete game. On September 7, 2007 McGowan recorded a career high 12 strikeouts against Tampa Bay Devil Rays, while giving up just 2 runs in 8 innings of work.

"That was fun to watch. All along, ever since they drafted this kid, they've been expecting stuff like this from him, and he's certainly capable. Today was one of the better games I've seen him throw. He had everything going." said catcher Gregg Zaun, who caught McGowan's complete game shutout.

McGowan finished the 2007 season with a 12–10 record and a respectable 4.08 ERA. Of his 27 games, 18 of them were quality starts, and he ranked second on the team with 169.2 innings pitched and 144 strikeouts to solidify his place as the number three starter in Toronto's rotation behind ace Roy Halladay and AJ Burnett, where he began the 2008 campaign.

Because of diabetes, McGowan now wears prescription lenses to improve his vision in low-light conditions.