Latest on Pearce's recovery and Schoop's endurance (O's lead 9-6)

OAKLAND - Steve Pearce remained on the active roster for today's series finale against the Athletics, and he intended to hit in the cage to test out his right forearm and elbow.

Pearce still hasn't been cleared to throw. The Orioles are more interested right now in whether he can swing the bat without pain, which they anticipate as they approach a three-game series in San Francisco.

Pearce is eager to get back in the lineup, of course, and would have started yesterday against left-hander Ross Detwiler or today against right-hander Andrew Triggs if it were up to him. He expects to play in at least one of the games in San Francisco.

"I'm hoping that tomorrow afternoon, we'll have some real significant progress," said manager Buck Showalter.

"I think that part of it (hitting), to be frank, is going to be less of a challenge than the other part of it. I'm hoping that we can resolve both of them, but it's one of those things where we don't want to go test it and set it back.

"He's chomping at the bit, and he wanted to try it yesterday. We're trying to be smart here. We don't want it to turn into something else and lose the backdate days."

Shortstop J.J. Hardy is getting a scheduled day off, one that almost came in Chicago before some undisclosed circumstances altered the plan. Showalter also said Ryan Flaherty needed to play.

Jonathan Schoop, 24, is the only player in the majors to play every out of every game this season, a huge advancement for a guy who sustained a right knee injury in April 2015 and lost almost three months of the season.

"It takes a lot of discipline with his off-the-field," Showalter said. "Every once in a while, I check with (strength and conditioning coach) Joe Hogarty, how's he doing, and every time he's right on top of the knee. And it's actually gotten stronger as the season's gone on as a result of him being diligent about it.

"Because of our bench situation, it's either been J.J. or him or Manny (Machado) or Chris (Davis), and Jonathan has really responded to the consistency of play. I just think it's part of the process. When you get a season like that behind you that you played that many games, that many innings, it's something you can always reach back for. And it also gives you a really good experience factor as you go forward about fighting through some other things mentally and emotionally. But I don't expect him to do it every year.

"It's tough to take him out. He's pretty good."

Schoop's numbers warrant regular playing time - the .283/.316/.478 slash line, 30 doubles, 17 home runs, 59 RBIs and 15 walks - but he's never going to coast.

"Jon's not one of those guys who ever takes it for granted," Showalter said. "Every once in a while, I have to remind him that he's doing a good job. He doesn't take anything for granted. That's probably why everybody likes him so much. He never has a bad day, but he takes it very serious.

"Jon's an observer and an asker. He asks a lot of question, especially J.J. I was talking to J.J. yesterday about him. I think there's probably some new things going on. That's why I tell these guys sometimes in the minor leagues, I'll see some guy, a prospect, didn't play last night and I'll ask, 'What happened last night? Is he OK?' He goes, 'No, it was his off day.' Twenty years old? Off day? Delmarva? Really? That doesn't happen.

"We're preparing them for playing up here. There's a time and a place for everything, but you don't have those 14-man pitching staffs. It's different up here."

Schoop suffered a Grade 1 partial posterior cruciate ligament tear and a medial collateral ligament sprain in his right knee during a game in Boston, and surgery would have put his career in serious jeopardy. The message was delivered to him. Be as dedicated to your conditioning, exercises and treatments as your batting practice and infield drills.

"I don't want him to forget that. I don't think he will," Showalter said.

"When, all of a sudden, you've had your career threatened and all of a sudden you're hearing, 'Hey, if you don't stay on top of this, it's going to reoccur, and if you do it right it will actually be stronger than your other knee .... ' And he stayed on top of it and we've got good people here. But he's not a guy who has to be led in there. He beats them in there."

Schoop is gaining more notice throughout baseball and back home.

"All those players from Curacao, he was kind of a, 'There's Jon Schoop, too.' Now, they're talking about Jon with all those guys. I don't think he particularly liked being in the back of that bus, so to speak," Showalter said.

"He wants to not only get there, he wants to stay there. Some people kind of underestimated his competitive fire because he doesn't always wear it on his sleeve, but Jon, believe me, I think some people look at him as a follower of Manny. I think they're kind of even standing there. They give it pretty good to each other. He doesn't take much. He doesn't have to. And playing every day like he does and doing the things he does, it allows him to carry some real stature around, because not many people can do that."

Schoop doesn't want to sit and doesn't want Showalter to approach him with the suggestion of taking a day off.

"No, he hasn't asked me and I don't want him to ask me, neither, because I don't feel like I'm in a situation to do it, you know?" Schoop said.

Playing every inning and every out is a source of pride for Schoop.

"Of course," he said. "That was my first goal this year, because I was hurt last year. I'm trying to put myself in a good situation where I can go out there and compete every day."

He stated it as a goal in spring training, and Machado pushed him to work out harder while also providing a nice example. His closest friend on the team was also his motivation.

"Yeah, a little bit, because you see him, you see Jonesy (Adam Jones)," Schoop said. "You try to take care of yourself and go out there every day and play, so I try to prepare every day, take ground balls and go out there and play every day.

"It's an honor to see your name in there and try to compete and try to play hard every day and try to bring something for the team to win.

"That's why it's good to see what guys have done before, like Manny last year, and Jonesy. All those guys. That's why they've helped me go through it, because they've been over there already. And they told me how to do it, how to prepare myself and stick to my routine. This game has a mental part and sometimes you think you're tired, but you have to fight it. You've got to say to yourself, 'I'm not', and go out there and compete and win.

"I think it's more mental, because sometimes the mental makes you feel down on yourself a little bit, but that's why you do everything to make your body feel good. Sometimes, your mental said, 'No, I'm tired,' but you have to overcome it. You have to say, 'No, I'm going to work. I'm going to prepare myself for today.'"

Update: The Orioles scored three runs in the fourth inning to match their total for the first three games. Mark Trumbo broke an 0-for-14 streak with an RBI single after singles by Machado and Chris Davis, the latter with his third hit in two days. Pedro Alvarez followed with a two-run double.

The Orioles hadn't scored in 17 consecutive innings.

Update II: Trumbo hit his third career grand slam in the top of the fifth, crushing a 3-1 pitch from left-hander Daniel Coulombe, but Ryon Healy lined a two-run homer off Chris Tillman in the bottom half. Orioles 7, Athletics 2.

Update III: Adam Jones led off the top of the seventh inning with his 23rd home run to give the Orioles an 8-2 lead.

Tillman has allowed two runs and four hits in six innings, with no walks, four strikeouts and a home run. He's thrown 90 pitches.

Update IV: Alvarez delivered his third RBI today with a two-out run-scoring single in the seventh that upped the lead to 9-2.

Update V: The A's scored two runs off Logan Ondrusek and two off Darren O'Day in the eighth to cut the lead to 9-6. Zach Britton will go for his 35th save.