Rod bearings scored?

Not with the stock pickup. It has a 'shield' (for lack of a better word) on the bottom, spaced under the screen maybe 3/16", and an opening to the side where the oil actually enters. (Some aftermarket pickups do indeed pickup up through the bottom and they need the spacing.)

Adding more spacing under the spacing already provided by the stock pickup design just increases the chances of sucking in some air, which is YR's point.