The last time the Yankees and Gerrit Cole faced the Red Sox, the stakes were high. 

After a late surge to end the regular season, the Yankees squeaked into the playoffs and had to go to Fenway Park to play the wild-card game. 

The result was one Cole and the Yankees would like to forget, as the ace, dealing with a hamstring injury, was knocked around by the Red Sox and lasted just two innings as the Yankees’ season came to an unceremonious end with a 6-2 defeat. 

On Friday, after a lockout that pushed back the start of the regular season by a week, the two rivals will go up against each other on Opening Day at Yankee Stadium, with Cole and former Yankee Nathan Eovaldi on the mound again. 

Asked how long it took for him to get over the defeat last season, Cole said on Thursday at Yankee Stadium: “I don’t have a specific number of days, it’s not like I was counting them. But for a little bit.” 

He continued: “It’s a sour taste in your mouth. It’s just a frustrating game. In this sport, you have to take the good with the bad. As a competitor, when you lose, it kind of eats at you. I think there’s a part of me that always carries along the scars that we get when we fall short of what we’re trying to accomplish. At the same time, if it doesn’t kill you, it’ll make you stronger.” 

It remains to be seen how strong the Yankees are, following a wildly up-and-down season that saw them have to wait until the final inning of the final game to get into the postseason, when Aaron Judge’s RBI single beat the Rays and got the Yankees to the wild card. 

They’d like the season to be less dramatic this year, with manager Aaron Boone acknowledging they’ve looked into why they were so streaky a year ago. 

A strong start would do them some good, although Cole knows he’s in for another battle. 

“Pretty formidable opponent,’’ Cole said of the Red Sox. “I just kind of see it as two stags locking up in the forest. Somebody’s going to break an antler every once in a while and nobody’s going to back down.” 

Imagery aside, the Yankees face two key tests to start the year. 

The original schedule had them in Texas and Houston to open the season, but now it’s Boston in The Bronx, followed by the Blue Jays, as the Yankees get an early look at their competition in what figures to be a tough AL East. 

“[We’re] jumping right into the deep end, no question,’’ Boone said. “Two outstanding teams [and] teams we’re gonna compete against a lot this year who have similar things in mind. We’d love to get off to a good start and a good homestand. Win or lose, we’re in a business where we prepare to go every day and no matter what comes our way, we’re equipped to handle it. We’re excited to go up against the best right away. That’s something I feel this group, especially, enjoys.’’ 

Cole is among that group ready to embrace the challenge. 

“If that indeed plays out to be true, there’s no better barometer of how you’re playing than when you’re facing the best competition,’’ Cole said. “In that sense, there’ll be a lot of truth as to what we need to do better or not as the season goes on. Generally, players are always up for a challenge. First seven games are the first seven games, whether it’s in the division or not. It doesn’t change our goal. We want to come out and play well.” 

And perhaps they will be able to start putting last year’s disappointing ending behind them. 

It was a different spring for Cole — and everyone else — due to the shortened camp following the lockout. 

A year ago, he threw 97 pitches on Opening Day against the Blue Jays. This spring, he only made a pair of Grapefruit League starts and figures to be in the 75-80 pitch range. 

He said Thursday he won’t attack the game any differently than he normally does, he’ll just throw fewer pitches.