Jones' hamstring injury opens leadoff door for Schoop (O's lose 5-1)

By leading off tonight for the Orioles, Jonathan Schoop has started at eight of the nine spots in the lineup during parts of four seasons in the majors.

All he needs is to inherit cleanup duties and he can run the table.

Schoop has started 25 games in the second slot, one batting third, 20 batting fifth, 53 batting sixth, 63 batting seventh, 98 batting eighth and 82 batting ninth.

Steve Pearce led off yesterday for the first time in his career and went 3-for-4 with a home run and three RBIs. Now it's Schoop's turn. Tough act to follow.

Manager Buck Showalter considered the matchups with Blue Jays starter Marco Estrada. Schoop is 4-for-14 with two home runs against Estrada, but he's also struck out six times.

"Estrada's been tough on us," Showalter said. "(Schoop) is one of the few guys who's had a little success. But trying to get him up there. It's either him or Nolan (Reimold). Kind of like Nolan there in the nine-hole. And trying to leave Manny (Machado) alone if I can. There's not a whole lot there to go on.

"I thought about (Ryan) Flaherty, but Flaherty would have to play center field. Don't like that. I can show you the seen lineups we went through for an hour and a half, trying to figure it out. Gives Jon more at-bats. It's a time of need."

The Orioles are known to stray from the conventional when choosing leadoff hitters. Nick Markakis wasn't prototypical. Adam Jones isn't prototypical.

"Really, when Adam comes back we still don't ... it's just that he's done it and we're kind of comfortable with it," Showalter said. "(Julio) Borbon, we can't bring back yet. Hopefully, he'll clear and we'll see if he's an option to bring back."

Playing Jones tonight was deemed too risky because of his left hamstring.

"He's always firing," Showalter said. "Adam's never retreating, and to ask him to play the game a certain way and protect it, it's going to be tough for him because playing hard is such a habit with him. It really is. It's a habit. And that's the way it is with players who play like Adam. It's a habit that they can't break and it's who they are and it's why you love them. It's why you want them around.

"We have a lot of baseball ahead of us, so hopefully we can get this right shortly."

Pearce was removed yesterday in the eighth inning. He felt a twinge in his right forearm/elbow area before homering and the Orioles remain cautious with him, especially in the outfield.

"I could use him tonight," Showalter said. "I'm not saying I would or should, but I could. Got a lot of that, guys who could and would, but should you?

"I got him out a little early yesterday because one more throw might have kept him from hitting. He's managing it well."

Pearce is 9-for-25 (.360) with two doubles, four home runs and 11 RBIs lifetime against Happ. He's 3-for-14 against Estrada. Playing him Tuesday night makes more sense.

"If we had a right-handed starter tomorrow, I might have looked at today differently because Happ is there tomorrow and (Pearce) has been OK against him," Showalter said. "I want to make sure I have him for tomorrow, with the possibility of Adam.

"He's kind of like Adam. He's firing all the time. He made a throw that got him in trouble last time out there. Yesterday, he didn't."

Chris Tillman's flat ground session today was encouraging. He'll try it again on Wednesday before throwing off a mound.

"It's one of those things I didn't want to watch and they came in and told me it went well, went real well, and he'll do it again the day after tomorrow," Showalter said.

"Flat ground is playing catch. That's really what it is. We don't have a set program for that. But he didn't feel anything. He felt good. Of course, same thing last time, too. Very similar."

Update: J.J. Hardy led off the bottom of the third inning with his eighth home run to give the Orioles a 1-0 lead. Wade Miley has retired the first nine batters, striking out five. Schoop grounded out on the first pitch he saw from Estrada.

Update II: Miley retired the first 10 batters before Josh Donaldson homered to tie the game in the fourth inning. A walk and two singles gave Toronto a 2-1 lead, with Troy Tulowitzki producing the RBI.

Update III: Jose Bautista hit a leadoff homer in the sixth to increase the lead to 3-1. Miley has retired the side in order in four innings and been scored upon in the other two.

Update IV: Tommy Hunter worked the ninth and gave up an RBI single to Justin Smoak with one out, followed by Devon Travis' RBI grounder. The Jays lead 5-1.

Update V: The Orioles lost to the Jays 5-1 and fell four games out of first place in the American League East. They've lost four of their last five games and nine of 14.