The Once-mighty Albert Pujols Is Now Just ...

How The Mighty Have Fallen
LOS ANGELES, CA - MAY 28: Albert Pujols #5 of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim prepares to bat against the Los Angeles Dodgers during an interleague game at Dodger Stadium on May 28, 2013 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Lisa Blumenfeld/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - MAY 28: Albert Pujols #5 of the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim prepares to bat against the Los Angeles Dodgers during an interleague game at Dodger Stadium on May 28, 2013 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Lisa Blumenfeld/Getty Images)

On Tuesday night, in the bottom of the ninth inning, Jim Johnson found himself in a spot of trouble. That, in and of itself, is nothing remarkable for the closer of the Baltimore Orioles, who has recently found himself on shakier ground than in his rock-solid 2012; so it goes with relief pitchers. Handed a 3-1 lead over the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim going into the ninth inning and the chance for his 23rd save of the year, Johnson had induced a pop-out from ninth-place hitter Peter Bourjos and a weak groundout from Mike Trout handled niftily by Manny Machado, then got two strikes on Josh Hamilton before allowing him to double to right field.

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