BALTIMORE - Orioles third baseman Manny Machado began serving a five-game suspension Monday, nearly three weeks after Major League Baseball initially levied the sentence and five days after his appeal hearing. Patrick Patterson Jersey . Machado was suspended and fined on June 10 for intentionally throwing his bat on the field during an at-bat in Baltimores game against Oakland on June 8. Machado immediately appealed the suspension, and spoke for about an hour Wednesday in an appeal hearing in Baltimore with MLB official Joe Garagiola Jr. The initial decision was upheld, meaning Machado will miss the Orioles four-game series against visiting Texas that began Monday, along with Friday nights game in Boston. "When we went in for an appeal I thought we had a good case, we had a great case," Machado said Monday afternoon. "We said what we had to say. It didnt come out how we wanted it to, but going into the appeal you know its going to be 50-50. Its something you cant control. I think we did the right thing, its a flip of the coin and we came up short. ... So now were just going to have to deal with the consequences." So will the Orioles, who will be forced to play with a 24-man roster. Chris Davis, who usually plays first base, was at third base on Monday night. "Thats the worst part about it. Were down a man," Machado said. "Obviously I dont want to put my team in that situation, especially five tough games." Machado tossed his bat in the direction of third base during a plate appearance in which Oakland reliever Fernando Abad threw successive high-and-tight pitches. After the bat went soaring, both benches emptied. Machado and Abad were ejected. Abad was fined but not suspended. "I didnt throw the bat at the pitcher. I didnt harm anybody. And Im going to get five games," Machado said. "I didnt charge the mound. I didnt get in a fight. ... This is an unfortunate event and Im going to have to deal with it." Orioles executive vice-president Dan Duquette said: "Obviously, we were disappointed. We were hoping the suspension would be reduced, and we thought there were good reasons it should have been reduced." In the opener of that series against the Athletics on June 6, Machado yelled in the face of Oaklands Josh Donaldson after the third baseman tagged him on the chest and caused him to lose his balance. Both benches emptied, but there were no ejections. "It sounded like they were giving him four games for the bat and they were also giving him an additional game for the Friday night," Duquette said. "I hadnt heard of a case where they went back and retroactively apply a suspension. ... The umpires didnt recommend any discipline; Manny stayed in the game. So that was kind of puzzling." Machado, 21, said he learned a lesson from the experience. "Dont do it again," he said. "You dont want to be in this situation. No one wants to be in it. Well just go from here and try to put this behind me and just go on playing baseball." Orioles manager Buck Showalter hoped the five-game sentence would be lowered after the appeal, but was ready to move on after the punishment remained in place. "It was surprising," Showalter said. "Were not going to dwell on it. We understand the rules and why things are in place for different reasons. There are repercussions for actions in baseball as there are in life in general. Hopefully, there will be some positive that comes out of it where Manny is concerned in the future and for all players, managers and coaches." Machado missed the first month of the 2014 season recovering from off-season knee surgery and got off to a slow start at the plate. Just before Mondays suspension, however, he had 10 hits over an eight-game span to raise his batting average 15 points to .239, and he also hit three home runs in his previous four starts. That made the timing of the suspension even tougher to take. "Definitely. It just (stinks)," he said. "I was starting to feel a little better at the plate and here they come with that bomb, five games. It was going to come. It was just about time to come. Unfortunately it came in the wrong spot, but hey, nothing you can do about it." Carmelo Anthony Jersey . Top-seeded Djokovic, who is making only his second appearance this year after reaching the quarterfinals of the Australian Open, was a 6-3, 6-3 winner over 54th-ranked Istomin of Uzbekistan. "It wasnt as easy as the scoreline indicates," said Djokovic, who has won in Dubai on four occasions. Andre Roberson Jersey . Numbers Game looks at the As getting Jon Lester from Boston, sending Yoenis Cespedes to the Red Sox along with a deal involving the As and the Minnesota Twins. The Athletics Get: LHP Jon Lester, LF Jonny Gomes, OF Sam Fuld and cash. http://www.shopthunderstore.com/Cheap-Paul-George-Thunder-Jersey/ . Shot outdoors against the stunning backdrop of Banff, Alta., the networks 30-minute original production airs Friday at 8 p.m. ET on TSN2. The four All-Star teams will play for $100,000 in prize money during TSNs annual skins game, airing live this weekend on TSN from The Fenlands Banff Recreation Centre.MONTREAL -- Reigning Olympic champion Alexandre Bilodeau and a trio of history-making sisters are headlining Canadas freestyle ski team roster for the Sochi Olympics. Bilodeau, from Montreal, won his third straight World Cup moguls event over the weekend, edging out teammate and rival Mikael Kingsbury of Deux-Montagnes, Que. Kingsbury and Marc-Antoine Gagnon of Terrebonne, Que., were also named to the early 20-athlete nomination list Monday by the Canadian Freestyle Ski Association. "I am ready to hit the slopes of Russia and show the world why Canada is a force to be reckoned with," Bilodeau said. "The Canadian Olympic freestyle team is totally focused. These Games belong to Canada." He acknowledged hell be going to Sochi feeling a little less pressure than he did in Vancouver four years ago. "In Vancouver, I showed up with a gun to my head," he said. "I wanted a medal. I put a lot of pressure on myself. Fortunately, I managed to pull myself together after working hard with my sports psychologist a week before the Games. Now, in Sochi, the work is done." Bilodeau said hes heading to Norway to tweak a few things and plans to enjoy the experience when he arrives in Russia. He has said Sochi will be his last Olympics and he admits theres a little wistfulness about that. "Im going to take every moment and remember it and I think there will be good moments, especially with the two gentlemen who will be accompanying me," he said, referring to Kingsbury and Gagnon. "Were going to have fun." The womens moguls team includes Montreal sisters Chloe, Justine and Maxime Dufour-Lapointe along with Audrey Robichaud of Quebec City. Chloe and Justine finished 1-2 over the weekend at a World Cup in Val St-Come, Que. Canadian Olympic Committee president Marcel Aubut said its the first time in the world -- not just Canada -- where three siblings have competed on the same Olympic team in the same event. "I always hoped that I would be able to represent the nation by doing what I love," said Justine Dufour-Lapointe. "To be able to say that I am now doing that is a dream come true. I cant wait to represent Canada inn Sochi. Detlef Schrempf Jersey. " Eldest sister Maxime, who was the last to qualify, said she wasnt surprised at getting a berth. "Honestly, I never had a doubt," she said. "Its been my objective since May. That was clear. I planned the entire season -- travel, training, racing. I knew exactly what to expect and gave it my all. When it came time to race this season, I was ready. "All my attention has been on one thing -- my skiing," she added. "I really stuck to my plan because I knew it would work for me." Kingsbury, who is the main contender to Bilodeaus throne, and Gagnon admitted they were excited to pull on their team jackets. "For sure Im going there on a mission but at the same time I want to enjoy the moment," said Kingsbury. "Im not just there to win the gold medal. I want to have fun. I want to have the run of my life and I know that if I accomplish that, I have a chance to win the gold medal." Gagnon said he was relieved to see his work pay off. "Its been a lot of work for four years, a lot of stress, especially during the last two years," he said. "But I always believed in my chances and I continued to work. Here, after finally managing to qualify, its a big Yes! inside me." World champion Kaya Turski of Montreal and Dara Howell of Huntsville, Ont., headline the womens slopestyle team. Theyre joined by Quebec Citys Kim Lamarre and Yuki Tsubota of Whistler, B.C. Alex Beaulieu-Marchand of Quebec City will compete in mens slopestyle. Calgarys Roz Groenewoud anchors the womens halfpipe team. Shes joined by Megan Gunning of Calgary and Keltie Hansen of Edmonton. The mens halfpipe lineup includes Edmontons Mike Riddle, Matt Margetts of Penticton, B.C., and Justin Dorey and Noah Bowman, both of Calgary. World silver medallist Travis Gerritts of Milton, Ont., will be the lone competitor in mens aerials. The International Ski Federation (FIS) allocates up to 26 quota spots for each nation for all five freestyle disciplines. The remaining spots for the deep Canadian team are expected to be filled Jan. 27 when the skicross team is unveiled. The Sochi Games will be held Feb. 7-23. 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