The 1979 American League Championship Series was a best-of-five series that pitted the East Division champion Baltimore Orioles against the West Division champion California Angels, who were making their first postseason appearance. The Orioles won the Series three games to one and lost to the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 1979 World Series. This was the only ALCS between 1971 and 1981 that did not feature either the Oakland Athletics or the Kansas City Royals. Summary California Angels vs. Baltimore Orioles Game summaries Game 1 Game 1 matched up two Hall-of-Famers, as Nolan Ryan, in his final season with the Angels, took on the Orioles' Jim Palmer. The Angels jumped out to an early lead when Dan Ford homered in the top of the first, then extended the lead to 2–0 in the third when Rick Miller singled and scored on Ford's double. The Orioles tied it in the bottom of the third when Doug DeCinces reached on a two-base error by Bobby Grich, Rick Dempsey doubled to left and scored DeCinces, and a single by light-hitting Mark Belanger scored Dempsey with the tying run. In the bottom of the fourth, Baltimore's Pat Kelly singled, stole second, went to third on a wild pitch and scored on a sacrifice fly. A Rod Carew single and a Grich double tied it in the sixth, and the game stayed tied until the tenth. John Montague gave up a single to DeCinces, who moved to second on a bunt by Rich Dauer. Terry Crowley pinch-hit for Dempsey and popped to center. Hoping to get to Belanger, a .167 hitter during the season, the Angels walked Al Bumbry. Pinch-hitter John Lowenstein then hit a three-run walk-off homer to take Game 1 for the Orioles, 6–3. Don Stanhouse was the winner while Montague wound up the loser. The win gave the Orioles a 1–0 lead in the best-of-five series. Game 2 In Game 2, which pitted eventual Cy Young Award winner Mike Flanagan against Dave Frost, a sensational comeback effort by the Angels fell just short and the Orioles swept the home games to take a 2–0 lead in the best of five series. And the early going was all Orioles. For the second straight day, Dan Ford hit a first-inning homer to give the Angels a 1–0 lead. But the Orioles came back quickly in the bottom of the first. Bumbry singled and stole second,