When the Yankees and Astros were headed for each other in a postseason showdown of American League superpowers, a popular question being asked of the Yankees was a fair one:

“Who is going to beat Justin Verlander and Gerrit Cole?’’

Three games into the best-of-seven ALCS, the answer is: nobody.

And after the Yankees didn’t take advantage of a good, but not electric Cole on Tuesday, they may have wasted a chance that will cost them a trip to the World Series.

At the least, a 4-1 loss to the Astros in Game 3 that was witnessed by 48,998 at Yankee Stadium put the Yankees at a 2-1 disadvantage. At worst, they now have to win three of four to return to the World Series for the first time since 2009.

Game 4 is scheduled for Wednesday, but with the amount of rain being predicted, Noah would be worried. If the game is postponed, it will be played Thursday, with Game 5 held on Friday.

“First four or five innings we had guys on base and had a chance to have a big inning,’’ Brett Gardner said. “[Cole] made pitches when he had to. That’s what the best pitchers do.’’

Staked to a 2-0 lead thanks to home runs by Jose Altuve in the first and Josh Reddick in the second off Luis Severino, Cole had one clean inning among the first five but didn’t give up a run. In seven innings, the right-handed Cole allowed four hits, fanned seven and walked a season-high five.

Gleyber Torres’ one-out homer in the eighth against Joe Smith gave the Yankees a glimmer of hope, but Will Harris and Roberto Osuna retired the next five Yankees to seal the win.

The biggest scare the Yankees put into Cole during his seven-inning stint surfaced in the fifth, when Edwin Encarnacion halted an 0-for-16 slide with a two-out double and Torres walked.

Didi Gregorius, who offered at the first pitch in three of his four at-bats, gave the Yankees a chance by chasing Reddick to within a few feet of the right-field wall only to see the ball die for the third out with two runners on.

“I knew it didn’t happen,’’ Gregorius said after going 0-for-4.

Astros manager A.J. Hinch didn’t believe his club’s 2-0 lead was in trouble.

“I immediately watched the hitter, the hitter tells you the most and he didn’t respond right away with the sort of pure excitement,’’ Hinch said. “I saw Reddick getting back, settling underneath it. I watched Didi again [and] then I felt a little bit better.’’

The two stranded runners upped the total to nine against Cole in five innings. During those five frames, the Yankees went hitless in six at-bats with runners in scoring position.

Gregorius’ failed chance hurt the most because one swing would have produced three runs and a lead, but it wasn’t the only one.

DJ LeMahieu and Aaron Judge opened the home first with singles, but Gardner flied to short center and Encarnacion popped out. The threat gained momentum when Torres walked to load the bases, but died as Gregorius grounded out.

Judge whiffed with two on in the second and LeMahieu ended the fourth with a fly to center that stranded Gio Urshela and Aaron Hicks, who drew two-out walks from Cole.

“It’s frustrating, we had opportunities to get runs in and weren’t able to do it,’’ said Hicks, who went 0-for-2 and walked twice in his first start since Aug. 3 due to a flexor tendon problem in the right elbow area. “We are a team that usually takes care of that.’’

But not in a game when Cole, who hasn’t lost since the White Sox beat him on May 22, was vulnerable.