Osaka, Japan ? Another home run by Barry Bonds couldn’t prevent major league All-Stars from losing to their Japanese counterparts for the third straight day.

Hours after winning his record fifth National League MVP award, Bonds hit a solo homer in the fifth inning of an 8-6 loss Tuesday.

“This is my last time here,” said the 38-year-old Bonds, on his fourth tour to Japan. “I love this country and have always enjoyed coming here. So it was great to win the MVP award while I was here.”

Bonds, a unanimous pick for the NL MVP award, connected off starter Kei Igawa for his fourth homer in four games, including the opener against the Yomiuri Giants. Two years ago, he was the tour MVP with four homers and nine RBIs.

Japanese star Hideki Matsui, eligible to start negotiating with major league teams Tuesday, went 0-for-5, dropping to 3-for-17 (.176) with two RBIs in the four games. Matsui, likely to be pursued by the New York Yankees, also let Junior Spivey’s liner to center to get past him for a triple.

“It’s not easy here,” Matsui said. “But since I’m going to the majors next year, I’ve got to use this opportunity to learn as much as I can.”

Kazuo Matsui, a shortstop eligible for free agency after the 2003 season, went 4-for-5 with two doubles and three RBIs as the Japanese all-stars outhit the major leaguers 16-15.

Yomuri Giant Hideki Matsui grounds out in the second inning of Game 3 of the Japan-U.S. baseball series in Osaka, Japan. Japan won 8-6. Matsui, who said earlier this month he wants to play in the majors next season, continues to struggle against the major leaguers and went 0-5 in Tuesday's game.

“I was just told to go up there and swing away,” he said.

Montreal’s Tomo Ohka gave up six runs in the first, allowing a three-run homer to Norihito Nakamura, an RBI single to Makoto Imaoka and a two-run double to Kazuo Matsui.

The major leaguers closed to 6-4 in the second when Derrek Lee hit an RBI double and scored on a single by AL Rookie of the Year Eric Hinske, and Ichiro Suzuki followed with a two-run double inside the right-field line, stopping an 0-for-9 skid.

Torii Hunter, trying to score on a Hinske single, was thrown out at the plate in the third by left fielder Yoshitomo Tani.