Phillies say Ryan Howard has torn Achilles’

The Philadelphia Phillies said Ryan Howard has a torn Achilles’ tendon, and it is uncertain if he will be ready for spring training.

The first baseman was injured on the final play of Philadelphia’s season-ending loss to St. Louis in Game 5 of the National League division series Friday night, falling as he ran out of the batter’s box on his grounder.

The team said an MRI exam Saturday revealed a rupture of the left Achilles’ tendon and that Howard will need surgery once the swelling goes down. Injuries of that type usually require at least six months of recuperation.

The Angels continued their front-office purge by not renewing the contract of player development director Abe Flores, a person with knowledge of the situation confirmed.

With the resignation of General Manager Tony Reagins and the firings of longtime assistant GM Ken Forsch and special assistant Gary Sutherland, the Angels have parted ways with four key front-office executives since the end of a season in which they failed to make the playoffs for the second consecutive year.

Flores had just completed his fourth season as the team’s player development director. He oversaw all aspects of the club’s minor league system.

— Mike DiGiovanna

ETC.

First U.S. win for Klinsmann

The U.S. men’s soccer team won for the first time in four games under new Coach Juergen Klinsmann, beating Honduras, 1-0, in an exhibition game at Miami. Clint Dempsey scored in the 36th minute and goalkeeper Tim Howard made several key saves.

Since Klinsmann replaced Bob Bradley after the CONCACAF Gold Cup, the Americans had tied Mexico and Costa Rica, and lost at Belgium.

Brek Shea’sMichael Orozco FiscalDonis Escobar

A young U.S team looked as if it had been on the big stage for years, responding to the loss of Beijing Olympic captain Alicia Sacramone to a torn Achilles’ tendon with a performance that led qualifying at the world gymnastics championships in Tokyo and secured a spot at the 2012 London Games.

The Americans didn’t have a single fall, and their score of 234.253 points was more than three points better than defending champion Russia and almost four points ahead of Olympic champion China. They posted the highest team score on floor exercise and vault, and they were second-best on uneven bars and balance beam.

Jordyn Wieber Viktoria KomovaAly RaismanMcKayla Maroney

Gabby Douglas

Brad Keselowski dominated the NASCAR Nationwide Series race at Kansas Speedway, leading 173 of 200 laps on the 11/2 -mile tri-oval in Kansas City. Keselowski fell behind Carl Edwards after a late caution but pulled ahead with 11 laps to go and beat Edwards by 2.795 seconds.

Brad Faxon moved into position for his first Champions Tour title, shooting a seven-under-par 65 in windy conditions for a one-stroke lead in the Insperity Championship at the Woodlands, Texas.

Faxon, an eight-time winner on the PGA Tour who turned 50 on Aug. 1, had a bogey-free round and reached 10-under 134 at the Woodlands Country Club. Tommy Armour III was second after a 67.

Soo-Jin Yang tied the course record as she took the lead in the LPGA’s Hana Bank Championship, finishing the second round one stroke ahead of world No. 1 Yani Tseng (70) and Na Yeon Choi (68) at Incheon, South Korea.

England’s Lee Slattery extended his lead at the Madrid Masters to two strokes after shooting a three-under 69 in the third round. He is two shots ahead of Italian Lorenzo Gagli (69) and Australian Brett Rumford (68).

Top-seeded Rafael Nadal will face Andy Murray in the final of the Japan Open after both recorded straight-sets victories in the semifinals at Tokyo. Nadal powered past Mardy Fish, 7-5, 6-1, and Murray was a 6-2, 6-3 winner over David Ferrer.

Tomas Berdych ousted top-seeded Jo-Wilfried Tsonga, 6-4, 4-6, 6-1, at Beijing, setting up a China Open final against Marin Cilic, who beat Ivan Ljubicic, 6-4, 6-3.

In the women’s draw, Agnieszka Radwanska will be seeking her second title in two weeks when she takes on Andrea Petkovic in the final Sunday. Radwanska, the winner of last week’s Pan Pacific Open in Tokyo, beat Flavia Pennetta, 6-2, 6-4. Petkovic defeated Monica Niculescu, 6-2, 6-0.

Tina Charles’ 28 points weren’t enough to help the U.S. women’s basketball team overcome too many turnovers in an 83-77 loss to Czech League champion USK Prague at Prague, Czech Republic. Swin Cash added 13 points and Brittney Griner had 11 for the U.S.