SAN FRANCISCO, July 24, 2007 (AFP) - Barry Bonds could not hit a home run Monday on the eve of his 43rd birthday when facing John Smoltz, among those who had allowed the most homers in Bonds` tainted chase of an iconic milestone.

San Francisco lost 4-2 to Atlanta but it was slugger Bonds who starred in the opener of a seven-game homestand in front of the Giants` fans, the only US crowds supportive of his bid for the all-time Major League Baseball homer mark.

Outfielder Bonds had a single, two ground outs and a walk but remained on 753 career homers, three shy of breaking Hank Aaron`s US career mark of 755 as he faces steroid accusations, a grand jury and another birthday.

Bonds has said he never knowingly took performance-enhancing drugs and has never tested positive for doping, although the major leagues did not even test for steroids during seasons when he blasted record homers for a man his age.

Greg Anderson, Bonds` personal trainer, was among five men convicted in the BALCO steroid case and remains in jail because he will not testify to the grand jury looking into Bonds, a panel whose mandate was recently extended.

Bonds, a seven-time Most Valuable Player, is 1-for-9 with four walks in three games since blasting two homers Thursday at Chicago.

As Bonds has drawn nearer the record, much has been made of former Atlanta star Aaron`s vow not to attend when Bonds breaks his mark and major league commissioner Bud Selig`s reluctance to commit to appear at the historic moment.

Selig denied a USA Today report saying he has decided not to take part in any on-field ceremony honoring Bonds, telling the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel no decision has been made and he leaves open the option of going to San Francisco.

'I`ve said all along the Giants would handle any celebration. I don`t know what they`re doing,' Selig said. 'I will see what happens. I`m going to play it by ear. I`ve said that all along. Nothing has changed. I`ve made no decision.'

But Selig will spend this weekend at Baseball Hall of Fame ceremonies in Cooperstown, New York, at induction ceremonies for Cal Ripken and Tony Gwynn while Bonds figures to take aim at a history-shattering homer.

Selig has refused to address the legitimacy of a homer mark by Bonds given the steroid questions that have lingered around him, saying, 'I`m not passing judgement nor should I.'

The Giants would like to see Bonds break the record at home but if he does not belt three homers by Sunday night, the Giants will travel next week to Los Angeles and San Diego, where spectators will likely boo and taunt Bonds.

'Sure we would like to see it happen on this homestand but we`re not going to change anything if he doesn`t,' Giants manager Bruce Bochy said.

The Braves did not want to surrender a homer to the man who would erase a former Brave`s legend but Smoltz had matched Greg Maddux, Curt Schilling, Terry Mulholland and South Korean Park Chan Ho by surrendering eight homers to Bonds.

'We`ve tried to (attack him),' Braves manager Bobby Cox said. 'Maybe we`ve been stupid, I don`t know. We`ve tried not to let him beat us. There are times you just can`t let him beat you.'

One thought bringing solace to many who dislike Bonds` run at the record is the fact that New York Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez, 31, has hit 498 homers, only 255 behind Bonds with more than a decade to surpass whatever Bonds might achieve.

A main difference will be that the bulk of A-Rod`s blasts will come with drug testing a part of Major League Baseball and without the body bulking that accompanied Bonds` best homer years.

'All records are meant to be broken,' Cox said. 'I think this one is going to be shattered again in the next six years.'