SAPPORO, Japan -- Barry Bonds gave the major league all-stars their first victory Thursday over their Japanese counterparts.

Bonds hit a grand slam in the top of the sixth inning off reliever Hirotoshi Ishii to power the major leaguers to a 6-5 win over the Japanese all-stars, their first win of the seven-game series. The major leaguers are now 1-3.

Bonds' home run landed near the top of the right field seats, giving the major leaguers a 6-4 lead.

"We're just trying to win," said Bonds, named MVP of the game. "We haven't won a game and we needed one. We had a chance to face him (Ishii) before so I had a better idea against him this time."

It was Bonds' third homer of the series, and the crowd of 43,000 gave the San Francisco Giants' slugger a huge ovation when he reached home. The Japanese all-stars outscored the major leaguers 24-12 in their three wins.

"We're here for the fans," Bonds said. "If I could hit one in every park, I'd be happy, and I'm proud to be able to do it here."

Ichiro Suzuki, who had been 1-for-13, had three singles and Roberto Alomar had two hits.

Bonds and Hideki Matsui will have a home run hitting contest before Friday's game at Tokyo Dome with each batter getting 20 swings.

The NL MVP is playing in his fourth tour of Japan and said Tuesday this will be his last one.

Kazuhiro Wada scored from third on a passed ball in the bottom of the sixth to cut the lead to one run.

Matsui, who is 3-for-21 in the series, went 0-for-4 but just missed getting his first homer of the series when he hit a ball to the warning track in the bottom of the seventh.

Japan's all-stars loaded the bases in the bottom of the eighth, but Eric Gagne got Norihiro Nakamura to hit an inning-ending grounder to short. Gagne, who had 52 saves in the regular season with the Los Angeles Dodgers, retired the side in the ninth for the save.

Takayuki Shimizu broke a 1-1 tie with a single up the middle in the bottom of the fifth, scoring Masaumi Shimizu. Nakamura then hit a two-run homer to center off Rodrigo Lopez, giving Japan a 4-1 lead.

Lopez picked up the win after holding the Japan all-stars to three runs on five hits over 2 2/3 innings.

Nakamura, who is a free agent, also hit a three-run homer in Tuesday's 8-6 victory in Osaka.

"I'm looking to hit one out in every at-bat," Nakamura said. "We've won three in a row and would like to decide it right here."

Jason Giambi, who was batting .091 in the series, hit a solo homer off Japan starter Chang Chih-chia in the top of the fifth to tie the game at 1.

"The way I've been struggling, I'm just glad to contribute," Giambi said. "It was a fastball out over the plate, and I just got a piece of it."

Major league manager Art Howe finally got a solid effort from his starter. Brian Lawrence, who went 12-12 in the regular season with the San Diego Padres, held the Japanese all-stars to one run on three hits over four innings.

The major leaguers had a chance to get on the board in the first but Pat Burrell grounded out with the bases loaded to end the inning.