Angels fail on Ramirez

It’s on to Plan B already for the Angels, whose top free-agent target, Aramis Ramirez, fell off the market Sunday when the third baseman signed a five-year, $73-million deal to remain with the Chicago Cubs.

“The first person who called me when the deal was announced was Bill Stoneman, and he was pretty disappointed,” Paul Kinzer, Ramirez’s agent, said of the Angels general manager. “If Aramis left Chicago, he probably would have gone to Anaheim -- it was the best fit outside of the Cubs. But Chicago came in with their last bullet, and Aramis didn’t want to leave.”

Stoneman was scheduled to meet with Kinzer to extend an offer to Ramirez on Sunday night at the general managers meetings in Naples, Fla.

But with Ramirez, who hit .291 and set career highs for home runs (38) and runs batted in (119) last season, off the market, the Angels will probably intensify their efforts to sign free-agent slugger Alfonso Soriano. They are also pursuing free-agent center fielder Gary Matthews Jr.

If the Angels’ bid for Japanese right-hander Daisuke Matsuzaka falls short, they will probably make a strong push to sign free-agent left-hander Barry Zito and look to use one of their young pitchers -- Ervin Santana, Jered Weaver or Joe Saunders -- in a trade for a slugger such as Toronto’s Vernon Wells, Baltimore’s Miguel Tejada or possibly Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez.

On the first day free agents could discuss financial terms with 30 teams, the Cubs also signed oft-injured pitcher Kerry Wood to a one-year, $1.75-million deal that includes incentives that could push the package up to $6 million. The Cubs plan to convert him to a relief pitcher.

-- Mike DiGiovanna

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The New York Yankees traded right-hander Jaret Wright to the Baltimore Orioles for right-handed reliever Chris Britton. As part of the deal, the Yankees will pay $4 million of Wright’s $7-million salary next year.

SOCCER

Houston wins MLS Cup in first final shootout

Brian Ching scored the tying goal for Houston a little over a minute after New England’s Taylor Twellman struck what appeared to be the game-winner in overtime in Frisco, Texas, and the Dynamo won, 4-3, on penalty kicks to take the MLS Cup in their first year in Houston.

The loss was the third defeat in the league championship for the Revolution. The game also was the first MLS Cup final to be decided on penalty kicks.

TENNIS

Henin-Hardenne earns WTA title

Already having secured the No. 1 ranking, Justine Henin-Hardenne won her first WTA Championships title, 6-4, 6-3, as Amelie Mauresmo double-faulted on match point in Madrid.

Mauresmo had dominated Henin-Hardenne this year, beating her in the Australian Open and Wimbledon finals. She also rallied to beat Henin-Hardenne in Friday’s final group game.

Henin-Hardenne is the first player since Steffi Graf in 1993 to reach all four Grand Slam tournament finals and the WTA Championships final in the same year, and only the fifth all time.

She won the French Open and lost the U.S. Open final to Maria Sharapova.

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Roger Federer beat defending champion David Nalbandian, 3-6, 6-1, 6-1, before Andy Roddick defeated Ivan Ljubicic, 6-4, 6-7 (9), 6-1, in opening matches at the season-ending Tennis Masters Cup in Shanghai.

WINTER SPORTS

Raich wins slalom; Miller struggles

Austria’s Benjamin Raich, last year’s overall champion, skied to a commanding victory in a World Cup slalom opener in which Bode Miller failed to qualify for the second run in Levi, Finland.

Raich was timed in 1 minute 42.13 seconds, more than a half second ahead of Sweden’s Markus Larsson, with Italy’s Giorgio Rocca third. Miller did not make the top 30 in the first run.

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Olympic champion Shani Davis overcame a slow start to win the 1,000 meters in 1:09:17 at the season-opening speedskating World Cup meet in Heerenveen, Netherlands. Lee Kyou-hyuk of South Korea was second in 1:09.26.

MISCELLANY

Cheney ties record in UCLA victory

Lauren Cheney tied a freshman record with the first goal and Christina DiMartino and Danesha Adams also scored to send UCLA (19-3) to the NCAA tournament’s round of 16 for the eighth consecutive season with a 3-1 victory over Cal State Fullerton (12-8-2) in a second-round women’s soccer match at Drake Stadium.

UCLA will next play Florida on Friday at Drake Stadium.

Cheney tied a freshman record of 17 set by Kara Lang last year.

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USC (11-5-5) couldn’t overcome two goals by Stanford’s Kelley O’Hara in Santa Clara and lost, 2-0, to the Cardinal (15-6-1) in the NCAA tournament.

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Frenchman Sebastien Bourdais edged Justin Wilson by 3.528 seconds after passing the British driver in the final lap of the Mexico City Grand Prix to cap his third consecutive Champ Car season championship with a victory in the season finale.

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The U.S. beat Germany, 25-27, 25-23, 19-25, 26-24, 15-11, but will not advance to the semifinals of the women’s world volleyball championships in Osaka, Japan, after finishing 3-4 in Group F. Brazil and Russia advanced from the group.

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Jamaican sprinter Asafa Powell and American 400-meter runner Sanya Richards were honored as world athletes of the year by track and field’s governing body. Powell twice equaled his world record of 9.77 seconds in the 100 meters.

Richards broke the U.S. 400-meter record long held by Valerie Brisco.