There’s no turning back now, folks. On Tuesday (8:05 p.m. ET on ESPN), the Houston Astros visit the New York Yankees in a do-or-die American League Wild Card Game to kick-start the 2015 playoffs, with a trip to the American League Division Series against the Kansas City Royals awaiting the winner.

The Yankees (87-75), competing in their first playoff game since 2012, earned home-field advantage when the Astros (86-76) lost to the Arizona Diamondbacks on Sunday.

Not that a trip to the Bronx is of any concern to Houston manager A.J. Hinch. His team won two of three games in Yankee Stadium this season in a 4-3 series win.

And Astros pitcher Dallas Keuchel certainly doesn’t mind playing in New York.

In fact, the 27-year-old lefty doesn’t mind playing the Yankees full stop.

Keuchel, who led the AL with 20 wins, will square off against Yankees pitcher Masahiro Tanaka. The 26-year-old was 12-7 with a 3.51 ERA this season and hasn’t allowed more than three earned runs in nine of his past 10 starts at home.

Look away now, Keuchel…

Despite being one of the league’s most talented pitchers, the Astros hitters have had success against Tanaka.

And Tanaka‘s numbers against the Astros on June 27 were less than impressive.

Joe Girardi‘s team will face the Astros—and any further playoff games—without CC Sabathia after the pitcher announced Monday he will spend the postseason in an alcohol rehab center.

The 35-year-old added in a statement:

I love baseball and I love my teammates like brothers, and I am also fully aware that I am leaving at a time when we should all be coming together for one last push toward the World Series. It hurts me deeply to do this now, but I owe it to myself and to my family to get myself right. I want to take control of my disease, and I want to be a better man, father and player.

According to Emily Smith, Danika Fears and Frank Rosario of the New York Post, Sabathia spent the majority of the Yankees’ final regular-season series in Baltimore “pounding drinks at a hotel.”

Sabathia’s absence is certainly a blow to the Yankees.

New York struggled late in the regular season, losing six of their last seven games, and are 29-31 since Aug. 1. But let’s cast our minds back to 2000 and how that World Series-winning Yankees team ended its regular season…

It’s hard to predict the winner of this one. Keuchel has had a Cy Young Award-caliber season but has never pitched on three days’ rest before. The Yankees have several experienced leaders, none more so than Alex Rodriguez, but A-Rod has hit just two home runs since Sept. 12.

All of this means we can expect a close-fought game. Perfect for the neutral, torture for fans of either team.

The Yankees are 66-3 when leading after six innings, per Yahoo Sports’ Mark Townsend, so it’s important they get off to a fast start. Whether that’s possible with Keuchel on the mound remains to be seen.

The Astros ranked No. 2 in home runs this season, the Yankees No. 4. They combined for 442 homers. This one should be fun.

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