The Boston Red Sox have surpassed 3 million tickets sold so far this year, a feat that looked in jeopardy when the team started slowly at the beginning of the season.

The team reached the milestone on August 1, the fastest it has ever sold that many tickets; the previous record was in 2009 when the team reached 3 million tickets sold by August 5 of that year.

Fenway Park, the team’s home for generations, is the smallest in Major League Baseball, holding just under 38,000 fans, but the team is continuing a sell-out streak that dates back to 2003 with no signs of abating. The team has surpassed 3 million tickets sold in each of the past three seasons, 2008, 2009 and 2010 with the help of added seats through the years, but had never reached that number before.

“We are grateful for the continued and extraordinary commitment shown by our fans,” Sam Kennedy executive vice president of the Red Sox and chief operating officer, said in a statement. “As an organization, we have an obligation every year to provide our fans with a team and a ballpark worthy of their support. Through our actions, we can only hope to match the levels of dedication and loyalty the fans have shown to us over the years.”

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The team, currently in first place in the American League East but only a half-game better than the arch rival New York Yankees, has the league’s highest, average non-premium ticket price, according to Team Marketing Report, at $53.38.

“There is a special bond between Red Sox Nation and this team,” Kennedy added. “Our players have long said that the passion and knowledge of the Fenway Faithful is our ‘secret weapon’ and that the fans provide them with a special enthusiasm, extra energy, and will to win every time they take the field.”