NL Central rivals’ last battle games

Cubs, Brewers meet; Red Sox top rankings

September is not lacking for drama, with three division races separated by 21⁄ or fewer games, and a National League wild

2 card chase with the potential for a season-ending pileup.

There will be one thing missing from the final days of this season, however: head-to-head showdowns.

The Athletics and Astros (American League West) are already done with each other. The Rockies and Dodgers (NL West) wrap up their season series Sept. 20.

And Monday night at Wrigley Field, the Cubs and Brewers (NL Central) began their final three-game series.

For now, the Cubs have fended off the upstart Brewers, both in the NL Central, where they lead by two games, and in USA TODAY’s baseball power rankings. The Cubs and Brewers are the top two NL teams in the rankings, slotting fifth and seventh, respectively.

It’s highly likely the top seed in the NL field will emerge from the Central. The Cubs barely fended off a sweep at Miller Park last week; a Brewers sweep would put them up by a game while taking two of three from Chicago would pull them within one game of the Cubs.

After that, it will be scoreboard-watching season from Appleton, Wisconsin, to Aurora, Illinois.

A look at this week’s rankings (standings and statistics entering Monday’s games):