NEW YORK — The New York Mets have consistently been a thorn in the side of Gerrit Cole, and this trend showed no signs of stopping during the high-octane opener of the Subway Series.

On a vibrant Tuesday night at Citi Field, with a bustling crowd of 42,824 fans, the Mets launched an impressive four home runs against Gerrit Cole, spearheaded by Mark Vientos with two homers, to secure a tight 9-7 victory over the Yankees. This game marked the first occasion this season that the Mets have achieved the feat of hitting four home runs, improving their record to 18-9 in games where they’ve managed two or more homers.

Mark Vientos, reflecting on the team’s recent performance, expressed, “We’ve been hitting well. It feels like we’re just catching a good wave right now, sticking with our game plan and approach. There’s a good discussion before the games, and if we stick to the plan, we’ll continue to be a threat.”

Cole, who began Tuesday night’s game with a less-than-ideal 5.89 ERA against the Mets from seven career starts, saw his ERA against them climb to 6.64 after surrendering six earned runs.

In a notable debut against his former team, Harrison Bader, with his new team for the 2022 and 2023 seasons, hit an impressive 419-foot homer to left field in the second inning, widening the Mets’ lead to 3-0. This homer followed Vientos’ powerful 382-foot solo homer.

Vientos didn’t stop there, adding another homer off Cole in the fourth inning. His outstanding performance, highlighted by a slash line of .297/.349/.575 over 34 games, brought his season totals to nine homers and 20 RBI. Reflecting on hitting his second home run off Cole, Vientos shared, “Hitting two off anyone feels great, but doing it off Gerrit Cole, a pitcher I have immense respect for, especially in a Subway Series game, is incredible.”

Brandon Nimmo also contributed a two-run homer in the fourth inning, pushing the Mets further ahead to 6-0. Cole, struggling to find his rhythm, concluded his evening after throwing 72 pitches.

This game was a showcase of the Mets’ potent offense, marking the first time since June 9, 2022, a team has hit four homers off Cole. It was also notably only the second occasion Cole finished a game without a strikeout.

The Mets meticulously worked Cole from the start, driving his pitch count up to 28 in the first inning alone. After a leadoff double by Francisco Lindor, the Mets loaded the bases through walks and scored their first run on Tyrone Taylor’s RBI single. Cole, recently off the 60-day injured list with an elbow issue and on a restricted pitch count, had exited by the fourth inning, reminiscent of his second start since returning.

The Mets’ victory, fueled by strategic hitting and resilience against a premier pitcher, sets an electrifying tone for the remainder of the Subway Series.