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.