The showdown was not set until late on the final day of the regular season, but the end result was worth the wait: Yankees versus Red Sox at Fenway Park on Tuesday night.

The storied rivalry will take the stage for the AL wild-card game, with a trip to the ALDS against the Rays on the line. It will be the first winner-take-all game between the Yankees and Red Sox since Game 7 of the 2004 ALCS, when the Red Sox finished off a stunning comeback on the way to their curse-breaking World Series.

This year, the Red Sox won the season series over the Yankees, 10-9 — dominating early with seven straight wins before the Yankees won nine of the last 12 meetings. The 20th showdown of the year will be the biggest of them all, with a momentous start to the MLB postseason.

Getting on base: Both teams got on base at a similar clip during the regular season (Boston with a .328 OBP, the Yankees .322) for offenses that could either carry the team for stretches or be maddeningly quiet. The Yankees will have to make do without their regular leadoff hitter, DJ LeMahieu (sports hernia), who was just starting to get more productive at the plate before he was sidelined. Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton have shouldered the load, but the Yankees have also deepened their lineup with the steady Anthony Rizzo, plus strong Septembers from Gleyber Torres and Brett Gardner. Xander Bogaerts has consistently been the Red Sox’s best hitter, despite a late slump, but Alex Verdugo, J.D. Martinez and Rafael Devers have each delivered strong seasons as well. Edge: Even