Machado: I don't regret punching Ventura

If Manny Machado could have that fateful at-bat in the fifth inning back ... well, he doesn't want it back.

The Baltimore Orioles third baseman would charge the mound and throw a punch at Kansas City Royals pitcher Yordano Ventura one more time if he could. The pair were ejected after Ventura beaned Machado with a 99-mph fastball, which earned him a punch in the head from a steaming Machado as benches emptied.

(Courtesy: MLB.com)

A suspension and fine are on the way for the All-Star, and that's just fine with him.

"I don't regret anything," he told reporters afterwards. "It's part of the game. Reactions fly. When somebody's throwing 99 at you, it's going to hurt.

"He hit me with a 99-mph fastball and 99 is no joke. You can ruin someone's career."

Ventura has a reputation for being something of a hot-head on the mound, and it appears he finally went too far for the Orioles, who all supported Machado's actions.

Orioles manager Buck Showalter stood by his player as well, and all but stated that the 25-year-old right-hander had this coming.

"Manny and the team decided not to take it tonight," Showalter said. "Obviously, it must be something that's OK because he continues to do it. It must be condoned. I don't know."

When asked if his team was able to escape injury in the brawl, the veteran skipper decided to throw one final bit of shade at the Royals, alluding to his team's back-to-back homers smashed on the first two pitches after the fight that broke the game open.

"I know the next few pitches they threw didn't escape," Showalter said.

Machado said he's grateful for the support of his teammates in the clubhouse.

"This is part of being a family. We are in this together," he said. "If one is going down, we all are going down. Things have happened in the past, this hasn't been the first time that we've gotten hit. We have to keep fighting and being a family. I am grateful that everyone supported me."