New York ? More than 8.5 million fans attended interleague games this season, the most in the 10 years of play between the American and National Leagues.

The average crowd for 252 interleague dates this year was 34,097, topping the previous record of 33,703 in 2001. It also was 15.5 percent higher than the average intraleague crowd of 29,520 so far this season.

In 10 years, interleague play has drawn 13.2 percent more fans than intraleague games.

The AL dominated interleague play this year, going 154-98 against the senior circuit for a .611 winning percentage. That mark obliterated the previous high of .547 by the NL in 1997, the first season of interleague games.