Prior to his monumental start, McGuire had gone 0-2 in five starts with a 6.56 ERA. McGuire got the Opening Day nod on March 23 but was touched for seven runs on eight hits, including three home runs, in just 3 2/3 innings in a loss to the NC Dinos. Since then, McGuire had two starts in which he held opponents to a single run, but he gave up eight combined earned runs in 9 2/3 innings in his other two outings.