Showalter on Sisco and Scott (O's lead 2-0)

TORONTO - The Orioles will send two players to the All-Star Futures Game set for Sunday, July 9 in Miami: Triple-A Norfolk catcher Chance Sisco and Double-A Bowie pitcher Tanner Scott.

They will play for Team USA against the World Team. Sisco played in the game last year and homered in his hometown of San Diego.

Sisco is batting .266/.342/.383 with 16 doubles, three homers and 28 RBIs. He is batting .311 with an OPS of .805 in 21 games this month. He was ranked before the season as the Orioles' No. 1 prospect.

Scott, ranked No. 11 on that list, has an ERA of 1.40 through 15 games. Over 45 innings, he's allowed 26 hits with 29 walks and 57 strikeouts. He has given up just one run his last 18 innings. A reliever throughout his career, Scott has been making three-inning starts every fifth day for Bowie. That gives him more time to work on his slider and overall command and ensures he has a bullpen session to do both between outings.

"I'm proud of them," Orioles manager Buck Showalter said this afternoon "They will represent us well and hope they get back healthy and not in that order. No, we're proud of them. Especially Tanner is having a good year. Really impressed with the player development team and what they've done with Tanner.

"He's really coming on. (Outfielder) Austin Hays has really put himself in the picture. There are a lot of good things going on, especially with the position players."

I asked Showalter if either Scott or Sisco could make the majors this season.

"I don't think so. Not at this point," he said. "I think they are right where they need to be doing what they need to do. That's just me. I'm sure Dan (Duquette's) got a better opinion to ask. But if you ask me, I think they are doing exactly what they need to be doing for where they are in their development. Chance has some things he needs to work on and he's working on them."

Showalter had praise for the development plan being used this year for Scott.

"To be able to keep the ball in his hand and having pitch multiple innings. You don't even worry about what he's doing," Showalter said. "Who knows, he might even be a starting pitcher one day. If he can grasp the changeup like he's grasped the slider, who knows? He's doing well and has really gotten a grip on his walks. He's been fun to watch and we've had a good plan."

O's get early lead: After Ubaldo Jiménez retired the first six Blue Jays batters tonight on just 19 pitches, the Orioles provided him a 1-0 lead in the top of the third.

Rubén Tejada led off and singled and then advanced to third when Joey Rickard doubled to left on an 0-2 pitch. Jonathan Schoop advanced the runners with a one-out sac fly for his 49th RBI and a 1-0 lead.

The Orioles announed that Welington Castillo was a late scratch tonight with a left knee sprain.

Stays 1-0 through five: Jiménez is having quite a different outing from Friday's start at Tampa Bay where he allowed nine runs in 2 1/3 innings. Tonight he has blanked the Jays and leads 1-0 through five innings on 59 pitches.

Now 2-0: The O's added to that lead on Caleb Joseph's two-out RBI single in the sixth that scored Adam Jones, who had singled. Joseph is 2-for-3. Not bad for a guy not in the original lineup and only added when Castillo was scratched.