Orioles 3B Machado drops appeal, accepts 4-game suspension

BALTIMORE (AP) Baltimore Orioles third baseman Manny Machado dropped his appeal of a four-game suspension for charging the mound and will begin serving the

BALTIMORE (AP) Baltimore Orioles third baseman Manny Machado dropped his appeal of a four-game suspension for charging the mound and will begin serving the punishment on Sunday.

Manager Buck Showalter said Saturday: ''It's going to start somewhere and it's going to be painful any way you do it.''

Machado rushed toward Kansas City Royals right-hander Yordano Ventura on June 7 after being hit in the back with a 99 mph fastball.

Machado punched Ventura in the face and was subsequently tackled by the pitcher as both benches and bullpens emptied.

Major League Baseball slapped a four-game suspension and a fine on Machado, who immediately appealed.

When he begins his suspension, Machado's run of 229 consecutive starts - the longest current streak in the majors - will come to an end.

Ventura began serving his eight-game suspension on Saturday.

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This story has been corrected to show that the brawl occurred during a game on June 7, not June 8.