The last 30 or so games of the MLB season prove to be entertaining across the board. But one division to keep an eye on is the National League Central. No, the best teams do not come from this division, but the race is so tight that things are sure to heat up down the stretch.

At 67-63 the Chicago Cubs are holding onto a two game lead over the St. Louis Cardinals. But hot on the heels of both these teams is the Milwaukee Brewers, sitting 2.5 games out of first.

In third place the Cincinnati Reds are eight games back, and in fourth, the Pittsburgh Pirates are facing an 8.5 game deficit. Interestingly enough, the Pirates have been one of the hottest teams in the league during the month of August. They have won 8 of their last 10, and still believe they can make a run at the division title. This may be a bit of a stretch, but winning another 8 of 10 will definitely help their cause.

Rounding out the National League Central is the Houston Astros. They are 10 games out of first, and although pretty much out of the race, are already looking ahead to next season. This is evident by the firing of both their manager and general manager earlier in the week.

At this point it is too hard to say which team will prevail in the National League Central. Will the Cubs be able to hold on? Or will the Brewers take back the top spot that they held for most of the first half? The picture will be much clearer in a few weeks!

Source: post-gazette.com/pirates/