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This story appears in ESPN The Magazines Sept. 19 NFL Preview II Issue. Subscribe today!FORGET JACKIE BRADLEY JR.S breakout, Xander Bogaerts hitting streak or David Ortizs yearlong lovefest: Mookie Betts, the Red Soxs 23-year-old outfielder, is the teams most indispensable player, and a legitimate MVP candidate.Betts is among the AL leaders in runs, hits and RBIs, but you could argue that his biggest strength has been coming through in the clutch. Betts has five of the Soxs top 16 games in win probability added (WPA), a measure of how much one player affects his teams chances to win. Here are the stories behind some of his best games.1 DOWN WITH THE BIRDS AUG. 16 AT BALTIMORE RED SOX 5, ORIOLES 3 BETTS WPA: 0.505THE SCENE Let it be said, with little hyperbole, that Betts defeated the Orioles single-handedly. Batting cleanup, he broke a scoreless stalemate in the fifth inning with a two-out, three-run homer off Baltimore starter Yovani Gallardo. And after the Orioles rallied to tie the score in the bottom of the seventh, Betts bashed a two-run homer in the next inning against setup man Brad Brach, against whom right-handed hitters had been 8-for-102 (.078). Betts drove in all five Red Sox runs. About the only thing he didnt do was pitch.BETTS TAKE I knew it was going to be tough [facing Brach]. I tried to swing early and be aggressive, because I know hes going to be in the zone. Once you get two strikes, its pretty much over at that point with him. ... Batting cleanup can be tough, but I was just trying to put a good swing on a good pitch, trying to drive the ball like I always do, with my same approach. [Being a power hitter] is definitely weird. Ive never been that in my life. Im just going to try to enjoy it while its here.2 HOUSTON HAS A PROBLEM MAY 15 AT BOSTON RED SOX 10, ASTROS 9 BETTS WPA: 0.330THE SCENE By the time Betts stepped to the plate in the bottom of the seventh, this game had seen three lead changes. The Red Sox had just watched an 8-6 edge disappear after the Astros three-run rally in the top of the sixth. After Ryan Hanigan tied the score with a two-out single off Houston right-hander Scott Feldman, Betts fell behind in the count 0-2. No worries. He laid off two pitches, then lined a sinker to the gap in right-center field for a go-ahead triple.BETTS TAKE From the outside, [games like these, when the entire offense clicks] look ridiculous, but from the inside, theyre just the product of us grinding out at-bats and grinding through games. It was a tough day, man. The wind blowing, the sun there, it made it that much tougher. Fortunately, we were able to get an extra out [on Hanigans hit] and take advantage of it.3 RANGE FACTOR JUNE 24 AT TEXAS RED SOX 8, RANGERS 7 BETTS WPA: 0.329THE SCENE Good luck finding a more improbable Red Sox victory. Trailing 7-4 in the top of the ninth, the Sox got two quick outs, then proceeded to score four runs. After Sandy Leon worked an 11-pitch at-bat for an RBI double, the Rangers called on hard-throwing righty Matt Bush. Betts passed on a couple of sliders in anticipation of high heat. Sure enough, he got a belt-high 97 mph fastball and crushed it to the center-field berm. Three batters later, Dustin Pedroia scored the go-ahead run on a wild pitch.BETTS TAKE There are three righties behind Sandy, so I know [Bush] is coming in, and I kind of prepared for that. Seeing velocity doesnt change anything. Its all got to come across the plate at some point. Thats my mindset. In the AL East, you see it every day. A lot of times, you see it from the starter for the whole game. That ball was one of the ones I figured was going to go out. If it didnt, I would have probably cried.4 BRINGING THE RAIN AUG. 1 AT SEATTLE RED SOX 2, MARINERS 1 BETTS WPA: 0.328 THE SCENE It doesnt get much more clutch than a leadoff homer in the ninth inning of a tie game. Betts longball was off a hanging sinker from Mariners reliever Steve Cishek, all the way into the left-field bullpen. It was also one of the hardest balls Betts hit all season, with an exit velocity of 103.54 mph, according to Statcast.BETTS TAKE I was just going up there knowing [Cishek] is a tough at-bat. Any sidearm guy is going to be tough. I was just trying to get a fastball up so I could at least put it in play. I know anything down, Im going to beat into the ground, so just got something elevated and put a good swing on it.5?TWO BIRDS, THREE HOMERS MAY 31 AT BALTIMORE RED SOX 6, ORIOLES 2 BETTS WPA: 0.325THE SCENE Talk about doing it all. Betts led off the game with a homer to straightaway center field, then added a three-run shot to left in the second inning. In the seventh, just for good measure, Betts capped his first three-homer game by going to right field for a solo shot against reliever Dylan Bundy. (His diving catch to steal a hit from Paul Janish in the bottom of that inning was just a bonus.)BETTS TAKE I think I surprised myself, definitely, with the center-field and the right-field ones. [Pulling the ball to] left field is my forte. First time Ive ever done that, three home runs. I was able to make a play behind [pitcher] Robbie Ross, too, so, you know, put the whole game together. Thats why, I think, it ranks among my best games.Stats courtesy Baseball-Reference.com; through Sept. 6.Wholesale Yeezy 350 . LOUIS -- The New Orleans Saints looked like a team playing out the string. Wholesale Yeezy 350 V3 . 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Halladay signed a one-day contract with the Toronto Blue Jays on Monday that allowed the veteran right-hander to retire as a member of team with which he broke into the majors and spent the bulk of his distinguished 16-year career.LOUISVILLE, Ky. -- Louisvilles lopsided victories had raised expectations so high for the No. 7 Cardinals that a close victory seemed unlikely against an outmatched opponent.But a second straight defeat looked possible against Duke on Friday night until a late penalty by the Blue Devils allowed quarterback Lamar Jackson to seal a shaky win for the Cardinals.Jackson provided a cushion with a 2-yard touchdown run with 1:32 remaining and Louisville held off Duke 24-14, and the outcome was all that mattered to the Cardinals.We didnt blow them out, but we did win the game, said Louisville coach Bobby Petrino, whose team had averaged a nation-leading 58 points coming in.The Cardinals caught a break after Evan OHaras 46-yard field goal missed wide left as Dukes Breon Borders was called for roughing the kicker. The penalty moved the ball to the 14 and Jackson did the rest with a 12-yard run followed by the short score that Louisville (5-1, 3-1 Atlantic Coast Conference) sorely needed.I wasnt going to let my team down, the Heisman Trophy contender said. We were going down there to score.Jackson accounted for 325 yards of offense and two touchdowns, hitting Jaylen Smith with a 5-yard scoring pass on the opening drive. Jeremy Smith added an 80-yard TD run in the third quarter, and OHara kicked a 22-yard field goal as the Cardinals came off the bye and earned the programs 500th victory.Duke (3-4, 0-3) remained winless in ACC play but gave Louisville more than it expected.The Cardinals sought a big bounce back after losing at Clemson, especially with a week off. The Cardinals offense certainly looked refreshed from the break as they drove 80 yards in 10 plays with Jacksons TD pass capping the drive.Duke wasnt fazed and answered quickly as Daniel Jones hit Erich Schneider for a 9-yard TD to tie it and trail just 10-7 at the half. The Blue Devils later closed within three as Jones hit a 20-yard TD pass to Johnathan Lloyd with 6:34 remaining to cap a 15-play, 75-yard drive that consumed 8:53.I believed our guys had confidence they could win,, said Duke coach David Cutcliffe, whose team controlled the clock for 37:12.dddddddddddd I dont think it surprised anyone that we scored early and matched a team like that.Duke seemed poised to take one final clock-chewing crack at beating Louisville until the penalty quashed that hope. Jackson then took control for Louisville -- as usual.POLL IMPLICATIONSThe Cardinals might lose some position after escaping with a close win despite being 35-point favorites. Petrino chose to focus on the bottom line and said, our objective is to go win, keep ourselves in (playoff consideration), and I think we did that. Weve just got to go play better.THE TAKEAWAYDuke: The Blue Devils werent intimidated by Jackson or the Cardinals. Jones was 14 of 21 passing for 129 yards including a 51-yarder. Jela Duncan returned from a leg injury to rush for 44 yards on 12 carries. But they managed just two scoring drives despite controlling the clock and committed a costly penalty that could have provided one last shot to win.Louisville: The Cardinals never trailed and outgained Duke 469-239 but never seemed in full control. Two chances to gain breathing room in the third quarter ended with Brandon Radcliffe fumbling on one possession and OHaras missing from 42 yards on the next.We lost our focus, Jackson said. We were driving the ball, hit a hump. (Well) watch film and get everything fixed. We were down there several times; weve got to get it right.Jackson seemed off on some throws but offset that with his speed and nifty footwork on several key fourth-quarter runs including their final drive. He completed 13 of 26 passes for 181 yards and rushed 21 times for 144. He is responsible for 30 touchdowns, 15 each passing and rushing.UP NEXTDuke: The Blue Devils will have a bye before traveling to Georgia Tech on Oct. 29.Louisville: The Cardinals host North Carolina State next Saturday.---AP College Football: collegefootball.ap.org ' ' '