TORONTO -- The Toronto Blue Jays sizzled in August to surge into first place in the American League East. Here's a by-the-numbers look at their monster month:

.778 - By going 21-6, the Blue Jays' .778 winning percentage matched the 1938 New York Yankees, who own the American League record for victories in a month with 28 in 36 games that August.

170 - Toronto's 170 runs scored led the majors at an average of 6.30 a game, better than the New York Mets, and their 720 runs this season are 90 better than the next-closest team.

87 - The Blue Jays outscored opponents by 87 runs, improving their major-league-best run differential to plus-191, which is 51 more than the National League-leading St. Louis Cardinals.

7 1/2 - Their August run allowed the Blue Jays to make up 7 1/2 games in the American League East -- going from six back of the New York Yankees on the morning of Aug. 1 to 1 1/2 up on Sept. 1.

49 - No major-league team hit as many home runs last month as the Blue Jays, with MVP candidate Josh Donaldson and Edwin Encarnacion each contributing 11 and Jose Bautista adding 10.

26 - Edwin Encarnacion had a hit in every single game he played in August, extending his hitting streak to 26 games, two short of Shawn Green's franchise record set in 1999.

.214 - Trade-deadline pickup Troy Tulowitzki hit just .214 with a team-high 28 strikeouts, but with the rest of the lineup producing, it wasn't a problem.

2.83 - With David Price joining the starting rotation and LaTroy Hawkins and Mark Lowe joining the bullpen, Toronto pitchers allowed a 2.83 earned-run average in August after a 4.18 ERA before the all-star break.

0 - Left-handed reliever Brett Cecil, one of the longest tenured players on the team, was perfect in allowing zero runs on four hits in nine appearances in August.

8 - The Blue Jays ended the month with eight straight sellouts at Rogers Centre to make it 14 on the season with a playoff spot getting closer and closer.