HOUSTON -- The Astros eased some doubts about their inability to consistently win at Minute Maid Park by taking two of three games from the Padres, their first home series win in a month. More importantly, they’ve opened up a season-high 2 1/2-game lead atop the American League West and are now in the driver’s seat for the division title.

By bashing the Padres, 12-2, on Sunday afternoon, the Astros improved to a season-high 20 games over .500 (82-62) and have won 10 of their last 14 games, while division contenders Texas (6-16 in last 22 games) and Seattle (2-6 in last eight games) have faltered. Houston’s chances to win the AL West are 82.6 percent, according to FanGraphs.

• Games remaining: vs. OAK (3), at KC (3), vs. BAL (3), vs. KC (3), at SEA (3), at AZ (3).
• Standings update: The Astros (82-62) have opened up a season-high 2 1/2-game lead over the Mariners atop the AL West, though the Mariners hold the tiebreaker. The Astros currently are in line for the No. 2 seed in the AL, meaning they would bypass the Wild Card Series round.

The Astros have a chance to pad their lead with nine of their next 12 games against the 99-loss A’s and 100-loss Royals. The Astros have won each of the past five AL West titles decided in a full season.

“It’s time to capitalize,” Astros outfielder Chas McCormick said. “I feel like we’ve been playing some pretty good ball. We’re excited. We’re as healthy as we can be right now, and if we get the ball rolling, we can take this division. It’s going to come down to the end, so we just have to make sure we win every game possible.”

Astros manager Dusty Baker urged caution about taking the A’s or the Royals too lightly, though Houston is 9-1 against the A’s this year, having outscored them 44-20. Houston has yet to face the Royals in 2023.

“These guys are all professionals,” Baker said. “This is a dangerous time of year to be playing, you know, second-division teams because they have nothing to lose and they'll try anything, any time. Oakland’s been playing well. They played Texas tough up there. They’re trying not to lose 100, and we’re just trying to win every game we can. The finish line’s a little off, but you’ve just got to look forward.”

The Astros, who lead the Major Leagues in runs scored since the All-Star break, continue to pound the ball behind a healthy lineup. The lineup is so deep that McCormick, who has an .888 OPS, was hitting eighth on Sunday, and rookie catcher Yainer Diaz, who has an .842 OPS, was hitting ninth.

In their last 10 wins, the Astros are averaging 11 runs per game, and they scored eight runs in the sixth inning on Sunday, marking their most in a frame this season. The first six batters in the inning got base hits against lefty Padres reliever Tim Hill, and Kyle Tucker became the first player in Astros history to triple twice in an inning.

“It’s cool,” he said. “I think having the opportunity to bat twice in the same inning is nice, with all the other guys putting together quality at-bats. I just try to put the ball in play and do the most with it. I guess it’s kind of cool, a little trivia kind of thing.”

Astros rookie starter J.P. France overcame a wild first inning in which he walked the bases loaded with one out but escaped the jam, throwing only 11 of his 28 pitches for strikes. He wound up giving up one run -- on a Matt Carpenter homer in the sixth -- in six innings while earning his 11th win.

“I think I was just rushing a little bit in that first inning,” France said. “I was late, timing-wise. After that, I just slowed it down a little bit and got everything back on time and back in the zone.”

The Astros led, 3-0, in the third after Jose Altuve clubbed his 16th homer, and every starting position player had at least one hit or scored at least one run by the end of the day.

The Astros will start their best two starting pitchers -- Framber Valdez on Monday and Justin Verlander on Tuesday -- to open the series against the A’s at home with a chance to put more distance between them and Seattle.

“We’re just confident right now,” McCormick said. “Offensively, we know we can do a good job up there, and we have a mix of veterans and some young guys. A lot of veterans control the plate really well and it’s a tough lineup to get through, all nine of us. We definitely feel really good up there, but we have to keep it going.”