SAN FRANCISCO — It's turning out to be some All-Star break for Seattle's Ichiro Suzuki.

The exciting centerfielder helped the American League extend its All-Star Game dominance Tuesday night by going 3 for 3 with an inside-the-park homer, earning most valuable player honors in what became a tense 5-4 victory over the National League.

And, if reports out of Seattle are correct, Suzuki should be signing a five-year contract extension any day now for some $100 million, removing one of the most attractive free agents-to-be from the market.

"It's one that I'll never forget," said Suzuki, who was playing in his seventh All-Star Game. "The past six years, I never had an All-Star Game that I really thought I gave my all or was able to give my all. I'm really happy."

Ichiro's inside-the-parker, the first in All-Star competition, was one of three homers by the AL, which extended its win streak to 10 games (10-0-1) since the last NL victory in 1996 in Philadelphia. Joining Suzuki in the AL's unofficial Home Run Derby were Tampa Bay's Carl Crawford and Cleveland's Victor Martinez.

For the fifth consecutive year since the new format was included in the All-Star Game, the AL will enjoy home-field advantage in the World Series. That didn't help Detroit last October but no one on the AL side was complaining.

"First of all, I don't think we dominated tonight," AL manager Jim Leyland said. "It was a great ball game. I don't really believe in that dominance thing."

The NL didn't go down without a fight. Rio Mesa High graduate Dmitri Young, playing in his first All-Star game, singled with two outs in the ninth and Alfonso Soriano followed with a two-run homer off Seattle's J.J. Putz to make it a one-run game. Milwaukee's J.J. Hardy then drew a walk to keep his side alive.

Leyland called on Los Angeles Angels closer Francisco Rodriguez, who walked Chicago's Derrek Lee and Arizona's Orlando Hudson to load the bases. Rodriguez ended the drama there, retiring Philadelphia's Aaron Rowand on a fly to right.

"I felt really good about the National League effort," NL manager Tony La Russa said. "I really feel like we went about it exactly the right way. We had the right guy up in the ninth. Rowand is a clutch guy, made a nice swing and put it in the air.

"What you do is go about it the right way and if the other team beats you, that's how it goes."

San Francisco's Barry Bonds certainly had no complaints after the game. Receiving loud ovations all night from the largest crowd in AT&T Park history (43,965), Bonds went 0 for 2 before exiting the game, giving his fans a brief thrill when he flirted with a two-run homer on a long drive to left in the third inning.

With Jose Reyes (3 for 4) on second with no outs, Bonds actually showed bunt in that at-bat before coming up short on his home-run bid.

"It was weird hitting second," said Bonds, normally a No. 3 or 4 hitter. "I'm thinking, I've just got to get the guy over.' I'm not used to that. After that, I just said, Forget it, I'm going to swing.' He threw the pitch and I hit it pretty good, but I didn't hit it good enough."

Bonds was emotional about the adoring response he received from the home fans.

"I'm lost for words," he said. "There's too many emotions to be able to explain it. You know, this is family. These are people, a lot of them I grew up with throughout the years. All you can say is 'Thank you.'

"It felt good for the first time in a long time, even the early part of my career. All-Star games were pretty good but to go out there and be cheered, it's a great feeling. Like I said, I'll be forever grateful."

The NL got the best of the early action, thanks to Cincinnati's Ken Griffey Jr. The longtime All-Star delivered the first run of the game with a first-inning single and threw out Alex Rodriguez at the plate by a mile in the fourth to keep his side on top.

But Suzuki turned the tide in the top of the fifth, with one on and one out. He went down and got a sinker and hammered it to right-center, where it took a funny carom off the padded wall and bounded away from Griffey.

The speedy Suzuki had no trouble circling the bases, putting the American League on top, 2-1.

"He's an artist with the bat, a wonderful base runner and outfielder," La Russa said. "This guy is a complete player and there's no place to get him out. You just try to get him to hit the ball at somebody."