ANAHEIM, Calif. -- A month-long surge from mediocrity to contention finally made the Toronto Blue Jays one of the American League's division leaders.

The Blue Jays took over first place in the American League East by rallying to defeat the Los Angeles Angels 12-5 on Sunday in front of 37,060 at Angel Stadium.

The Blue Jays used their fifth win in six games, and their 19th in 23, to move into first by half a game over the New York Yankees, who suffered a 4-3 loss at home to the Cleveland Indians. At 24-9, Toronto has compiled the major league's best record since the All-Star break.

"When a team gets on a roll like that," Blue Jays manager John Gibbons said, "everybody's feeling good; everybody's confident."

Designated hitter Edwin Encarnacion led the Blue Jays' 17-hit attack with four hits, including his 24th home run of the year, and drove in four runs. Encarnacion thus extended his hitting streak to 19 games, a career best and the longest active streak in the major leagues.

Right fielder Jose Bautista added three hits, including a double and his 29th homer, as right-hander R.A. Dickey (8-10) earned his fifth consecutive win despite allowing five runs in the bottom of the first inning.

"I can't ever remember a time in my big-league career when I've done that," Dickey said. "But when I came in the dugout, everybody was still with me. There was no reason to pout. Guys are encouraging you and saying, 'We're going to get them back. Don't worry.'

"Today was probably my favorite win all year. It really felt like a family win."

Center fielder Mike Trout collected a triple among his three hits for the Angels, who sustained their fourth straight loss and 10th in 14 games.

The Angels, who held a two-game lead in the American League West on July 22, fell 5 1/2 games behind the Houston Astros in the American League West and 1 1/2 games behind the Texas Rangers in the race for the second wild-card spot.

"We're right in the middle of this," Los Angeles manager Mike Scioscia said about the races for playoff spots. "All it's going to take is one good game, hopefully setting it up on our terms."

In the process of sweeping the Angels, Toronto set a club record for runs in a three-game series. The 36 runs surpassed the 34 scored against the Boston Red Sox from May 30 to June 1 of 2003.

"Everybody's obviously realistic about this weekend and where we've been the last couple of weeks," Scioscia said. "But there's still a lot of confidence in that locker room. We need to bring it on the field and start playing like we can."

The Blue Jays took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning against right-hander Garrett Richards. Third baseman Josh Donaldson lined a double down the left-field line, moved to third base on right fielder Jose Bautista's single and scored on Encarnacion's sacrifice fly.

Los Angeles responded in the bottom of the first by sending 10 batters to the plate and scoring five runs on six hits, two sacrifice flies and a hit batter against Dickey. After right fielder Kole Calhoun was hit by a pitch, Trout hit a line drive down the right-field line. Bautista tried to make a diving catch but the ball bounced past him, allowing Calhoun to score and Trout to take third on his triple. Trout came home on designated hitter Albert Pujols' sacrifice fly.

The Angels then amassed three consecutive singles, with left fielder David Murphy scoring on first baseman C.J. Cron's hit. Catcher Carlos Perez followed with a sacrifice fly, then third baseman Kaleb Cowart contributed a run-scoring double.

"It wasn't like we were hanging our heads in the dugout," Toronto shortstop Troy Tulowitzki said of the Angels' rally. "There was good energy out there. We said that we have a tough job ahead of us but we can definitely do it."

After that first inning, Dickey pitched five shutout innings during which he conceded just five hits and a walk. The knuckleball specialist induced three double plays and finished with one strikeout in six innings.

The Blue Jays narrowed their deficit to 5-3 in the second. With the bases loaded, Tulowitzki hit a ground ball off Cowart's glove for an error that brought center fielder Kevin Pillar and left fielder Ben Revere home. The visitors then moved ahead in the third, 6-5.

Encarnacion and Revere hit run-scoring singles, then second baseman Ryan Goins hit a ground ball that Angels shortstop Erick Aybar misplayed for an error that allowed Pillar to give Toronto the lead.

The Blue Jays expanded their advantage to 8-5 in the fourth when Bautista and Encarnacion hit back-to-back solo home runs. Bautista propelled a curve ball into the rocks past the center-field fence. Encarnacion followed by lining a fastball into the stands down the left-field line.

Richards (12-10) matched a career high by allowing seven earned runs. The right-hander permitted nine total runs, 10 hits and three walks in five-plus innings while striking out four and throwing 109 pitches, four fewer than his season high.

"Our bullpen really is on fumes," Scioscia said. "Garrett gave everything he had. He just didn't have what he needed this afternoon."

NOTES: The Blue Jays recalled C Josh Thole from Triple-A Buffalo and optioned 1B Matt Hague to the same club. Thole has had experience catching RHP R.A. Dickey, the knuckleballer who started Sunday's game. ... Angels manager Mike Scioscia needs five wins to tie Hall of Famer Wilbert Robinson for 28th place in career managerial victories. Scioscia has 1,394 wins.