ALCS

The American League Championship Series (ALCS) is a best four-of-seven-games series between the two winners of the American League Division series. The winner of the ALCS earns the right to represent the American League in the World Series, the final of three rounds in the MLB Playoffs to determine the champion of Major League Baseball.http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/schedule/ps.jsp?y=10

Under current MLB rules, if the ALCS contains a team that entered the MLB Playoffs using a wild-card spot, that team, or the team with the lower record in the case of two division winners in the series, will automatically host games three and four, along with game five if necessary. The other team, either the non-wild-card team or the divisional winner with the better record, will host games one and two, plus six and seven if needed.http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/schedule/ps.jsp?y=10

In the 2010 MLB Playoffs, the American League Championship Series will begin on Friday, October 15, 2010. The 2010 ALCS could conclude as early as Tuesday, October 19, 2010, if one team wins four-consecutive games, or could run as long as Saturday, October 23, 2010, if the series goes a full seven games.http://mlb.mlb.com/mlb/schedule/ps.jsp?y=10

The 2009 ALCS featured the New York Yankees against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. The Yankees reached the series by defeating the Minnesota Twins while the Angels topped the Boston Red Sox to reach the ALCS. New York took the series in six games and went on to defeat the Philadelphia Phillies in the 2009 World Series for their 27th championship.http://www.baseball-reference.com/postseason/

In 2008, the Boston Red Sox lost to the Tampa Bay Rays in the American League championship series. The Rays won the series four games to three, in what was the first post-season appearance for the team.http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20081007&content_id=3600700&vkey=ps2008news&fext=.jsp&c_id=mlb Tampa Bay's run ended there however as they were defeated by the Philadelphia Phillies in the World Series.http://www.baseball-reference.com/postseason/