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DARLINGTON, S.C. -- Given a break or two here or there, Martin Truex Jr. believes hed have a monster season. He is pretty thrilled about the one hes had so far, anyway.Truex capped a standout summer season with his first Southern 500 victory at Darlington Raceway on Sunday night. He had started things with a dominant, record-setting win at Charlotte Motor Speedway on Memorial Day weekend.Im just humbled, he said.He knows, though, it couldve been even bigger.Truex was a breath away from taking the Daytona 500 over Denny Hamlin to start the season, and had seven other top 10s this year.With the team we have and the way weve been running, we could honestly be sitting here with seven, eight, nine wins, Truex said. With that said, weve got two (victories) and I really feel like weve got a legitimate shot at this championship.Truex will certainly be a strong contender when the 10-race Chase for a Championship starts at Chicagoland Speedway in two weeks. He reached the final race in Homestead last year among the last four standing and thinks everyone in the program has worked to improve their chances.Its been a good season, but it definitely could be a great season, he said.It was Truexs fifth career win and the second time his single-car Furniture Row Racing team has taken the checkered flag at the track Too Tough To Tame.Crew chief Cole Pearn guided Regan Smith to victory lane here in 2011. Then, the team was a novelty, a fun, fish-out-of-water tale of the little team that won a big race.Now, tiny Furniture Row is poised for a significant run as NASCARs best.To win two crown jewel races like this in one season is something youll never forget for sure, Pearn said. Youve got to take the highs when theyre here and then get back to work.---Things learned from the Southern 500.CHASE CHATTER: With one race left before NASCARs playoffs, Chase Elliott, Austin Dillon and Jamie McMurray remain the final three winless drivers who would qualify for the 16-team field. Ryan Newman is the first driver out, seven points behind McMurray heading to Richmond next Saturday night.SMOKE WILL BE MISSED: Tony Stewart will leave Sprint Cup without a victory at Darlington after finished 35th on Sunday night when his engine overheated and he went behind the wall. He was asked to the NASCAR hauler after spinning Brian Scott earlier in the race and when asked what happened, said simply, He wrecked.A TASTE OF SUCCESS: Kyle Larson nearly made it two straight wins before finishing third Sunday. The young driver, who earned his first Sprint Cup win last week at Michigan, led 45 laps and was out front with 38 laps to go. All in all, it was good to be a contender two weeks in a row, he said.THROWBACK CITY: The Southern 500s second straight throwback-themed weekend again looked like a success. The nostalgic paint schemes like the Matt Kenseths Tide Ride or Kevin Harvicks Busch Beer car thrilled fans and competitors both. Plus, drivers and teams took things deeper this year with vintage crew uniforms and crazy costumes. This is such a fun weekend with the throwback stuff, Larson said.DALE JR. COMEBACK: Dale Earnhardt Jr. spoke at Darlington Raceway about three hours before the Southern 500 -- and two days after announcing ongoing recovery from a concussion had ended his season -- pledging that he intends to return to the Sprint Cup Series next February at the Daytona 500. Earnhardt said, at 41, his heart is still in racing and he believes hes as good as hes ever been behind the wheel. Doctors told him back during a previous concussion in 2012 hed return to form and Earnhardt says hes been told that once more. Earnhardt has heard others wonder if it is better for him to walk away instead of coming back. The sports most popular driver said hes got unfinished business to complete.Tyrann Mathieu Super Bowl Jersey . -- Golden State Warriors coach Mark Jackson asked his players a simple question during Fridays morning shootaround: How many of them had ever been on a team 14 games over . Daniel Sorensen Super Bowl Jersey . Supported by three-run homers from Jayson Werth and Wilson Ramos, the young right-hander went seven strong innings in the Washington Nationals 8-4 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday night. http://www.thechiefsshoponline.com/Youth-Cameron-Erving-Chiefs-Jersey/ . Colin Wilson had two goals and an assist, and Mike Fisher scored a goal and helped set up two others in the Predators 6-4 victory over the Red Wings on Monday night. Larry Johnson Super Bowl Jersey .In my heart and mind Im competing for India, luge competitor Shiva Keshavan told The Associated Press in an email interview. Every day Im flooded with messages from Indians all over the world telling me they are supporting me. Juan Thornhill Super Bowl Jersey .J. -- Josh Cribbs was in the Pro Bowl in February and out of a job six months later.ANAHEIM, Calif. -- The Houston Astros appear to be enjoying their new address in the American League West, particularly when they play the Los Angeles Angels. Carlos Pena and Carlos Corporan homered against C.J. Wilson and Jordan Lyles turned in his fourth impressive outing in a row for the Astros, who beat the Angels 5-4 Sunday for the third straight time and extended their winning streak to a season-high five games. "It says that we can beat anybody in this league. If we can compete with the Angels, then we can compete with anybody," reliever Hector Ambriz said after getting the save. "Weve attacked their whole lineup with fastballs, curve balls and off-speed pitches and havent fallen behind in the count. Youve got to respect what they can do, but weve got to respect our stuff, too." The Astros, who entered this four-game wraparound series with an AL-worst 17-37 record, have won six of nine meetings with the Angels after coming over from the NL. Two of those wins have come at Wilsons expense, after the two-time All-Star had won his first five decisions against Houston with a 3.37 ERA. "Sports are very hard to predict," Wilson said. "Theres a lot of people over the years who have tried to be experts at projecting things, and I dont think these people have much of a shot past a coin flip in really predicting whats going to go on -- because theres so many factors. "I dont think theyre playing over their heads against us. Theyre a major league team," he added. "I mean, you watch the way Bo Porter manages. He forces action. Guys are stealing, guys are bunting, and they have a lot of players on their team with tools. Theyve got some relievers that can come in and strike people out, and theyve got some guys that can hit home runs." A victory over the Angels in Monday nights series finale would give the Astros their first four-game sweep of any club since Aug, 23-26, 2010, at Philadelphia -- and their first six-game winning streak since July 27-Aug. 3, 2010 (seven in a row). "We just havent played well against them. Thats really what it comes down to," Wilson said. "Its frustrating because weve been put in the position to win some of these games and we have not come through. The frustrating thing about our season so far is that we havent really been consistent. Right now Id say were too up and down." Lyles (3-1) allowed two runs and six hits in 5 2-3 innings, struck out five and walked one. The 22-year-old right-hander, who was promoted from Triple-A on May 2, has a 1.90 ERA over his past four starts after giving up eight runs through fouur innings in a 12-7 loss against Texas.dddddddddddd The Angels threatened in the eighth against Brad Peacock, who gave up a double to Albert Pujols and a walk to Mark Trumbo with none out. But Josh Hamilton flied to centre on the right-handers next pitch and Howie Kendrick grounded into a double play. The Astros loaded the bases with none out in the ninth against Garrett Richards, and Matt Dominguez delivered their final two runs with a single. Richards left the game with a twisted left ankle after he charged in on rookie Brandon Barnes attempted suicide-squeeze bunt and flipped to Hank Conger for the tag on Trevor Crowe. Porter sent Peacock back to the mound in the ninth after he had already pitched 1 1-3 innings, and the right-hander gave up a two-run homer by Conger after a leadoff walk to Alberto Callaspo. But Ambriz came on and got three outs for his second save in four attempts after regular closer Jose Veras closed out the first two games. "It was nail-biting time there," said Porter, who used Veras five of the previous six days. "Ambriz came in and did a tremendous job to close that game out. I tried to do everything I could to stay away from him because our bullpen has been getting taxed. But once Peacock gave up the two-run homer, we knew that it wouldnt take Ambriz long to get ready." Wilson (4-4) gave up three runs and six hits in 7 1-3 innings with nine strikeouts and no walks. Pena sent the left-handers first pitch of the fifth inning barely over the 18-foot wall in right field for his fifth home run and second in five games. Barnes led off the Houston fifth with a double and scored on a two-out single by J.D. Martinez. The Angels cut the margin to 3-2 in the bottom half, as Trumbo led off with his 13th homer. Corporan drove an 0-1 pitch to left-centre with two outs in the first for his fourth home run. The Angels tied it in the third with an RBI single by Pujols, after Mike Trout reached on a strikeout-wild pitch that sent former Astros prospect J.B. Shuck to third. Lyles minimized the damage by getting Trumbo to ground into an inning-ending double play. NOTES: Lyles was 5-12 with a 5.09 ERA in 25 starts with the Astros last season. ... The Astros have the first overall pick in Thursdays draft for the second straight year, after selecting SS Carlos Correa in 2012. The only other teams with that distinction since the draft began in 1965 were Tampa Bay in 2007-08 (LHP David Price and SS Tim Beckham), and Washington in 2009-10 (RHP Stephen Strasburg and OF Bryce Harper). ... The switch-hitting Corporan struck out his next three times up after the home run. ' ' '