Cox followed a different route to success. His talented but young 1982 Blue Jays, though still below .500, won more games (78) than ever before in their history. Then they broke through, winning 89 games in both and . Finally, in , they captured 99 victories to win the American League East Division by a two-game margin over the Yankees. The Jays held a three games to one edge in the 1985 American League Championship Series, only to drop three straight games and the AL pennant to the eventual world champion Kansas City Royals.