With just 37 games left on the schedule, the stakes keep rising in the battle for the NL Central.

Up 7.5 games in the division, the Brewers host the second-place Reds in a key three-game series this week at American Family Field – the final showdown between these two teams this season. Both squads are coming in hot, sporting 7-3 records over their last 10.

Before the series begins, here are three things to watch for in this crucial divisional tilt.

Yelich On the Rise

Is Yelich heating up? It sure looks like it.

The former MVP has been searching for more production all season, and he’s found results since returning from the COVID Injured List earlier this month.

Over his last 11 games, Yelich has delivered a .356 average (16-45), three doubles, two home runs and 10 RBI. Of those 11 games, he’s started 10 and collected a hit in each start, including five multi-hit games and a three-hit game against the Nationals on Saturday.

In perhaps his biggest moment of the season, Yelich crushed a clutch 454-foot grand slam– his second homer of the contest -- over the right-center wall Saturday in vintage fashion. If his power returns on a consistent basis, the Crew’s lineup can soar to even greater heights.

Can the Crew Contain Joey Votto?

Coming out of the All Star break, the Reds hosted the Brewers for a three-game series in mid-July.

Joey Votto went 0-7 in those first two games in Cincinnati, dropping his season average to .249. Since then, Votto has changed the narrative on his season in a big way, even elevating himself into the MVP conversation.

Since the series finale of that July tilt against the Brewers, Votto is hitting .339 with 17 home runs, 41 RBI and an OPS of 1.244. That stretch has boosted his season line to a healthy .280 with 28 home runs and 81 RBI. His play has helped propel the Reds into the second Wildcard spot and kept them in the divisional hunt.

The second half surge from Votto should come as no surprise: he has a career .317 average in the second half of the season with an OPS of .982 -- compared to .913 in the first half.

If the Brewers can find a way to cool Votto’s bat, it will go a long way toward maintaining their division lead this week.

Kolten Wong’s Dominance

Kolten Wong has put together the exact kind of season the Brewers were hoping for when they signed him as a free agent in February. So far in 2021, he’s carrying career highs in batting average (.288), OPS (.819), and slugging (.467).

While Wong has been consistent all year, his return to St. Louis last week appeared to unlock another gear that carried into the weekend against Washington. Over his last six games, Wong is 9-21 with two doubles, a triple, a home run, and plenty of highlights: just days after his memorable steal off longtime teammate Yadier Molina, Wong made one of the season’s top plays by tagging up on a foul ball to the catcher.

On top of his breakout offensive year, Wong continues to play defense at an elite level. He’s playing some of the best baseball of his career right now, and the Brewers are counting on him to stay hot through the final stretch.