BOSTON – This was a different kind of Soto Shuffle.

In an attempt to shake the Mets out of the offensive malaise, manager Carlos Mendoza made some major lineup changes ahead of their final game against the Red Sox Wednesday.

While Lindor stayed in the leadoff spot, Juan Soto was moved to third and replaced in the two-hole by Starling Marte. Pete Alonso was dropped from three to four. Going up against lefthander Garrett Crochet, Brandon Nimmo, Jeff McNeil and Francisco Alvarez all rode the bench, meaning Marte, who hasn’t started a game in left since 2017 and has only played the field one other time this season, was formally introduced to the Green Monster Wednesday. What’s more, some of these changes – particularly the ones at the top of the lineup – might stick, Mendoza said.

“There’s a good chance I’ll keep those guys three and four and we’ll go from there,” Mendoza said before the game. “I’m trying to shuffle some things around. I’m not a guy that likes to overreact. I like consistency [and to] give guys chances, but I just felt like today was a day to move some people around and especially the guys at the top, you know, facing a lefty.”

Mendoza made a similar move around this time last year, shifting Lindor to the leadoff spot, where he thrived for the rest of the season. And while the Mets are hardly in desperation mode – they’re still nine games over .500 – this latest stretch of games has been troubling. Going into Wednesday, their three-game losing streak was their longest of the season, and they’d dropped five of six with the juggernaut Dodgers looming over their return to Flushing.

They’ve scored three or fewer runs in the last seven games, slashing .176/.280/.233 in that span and went into the day riding a six-game homerless streak – their longest such streak since 2015. They were 4-for-43 (.093) and have left 44 men on base over their previous six games.

“It makes my decision a lot easier when I go up to someone like Pete Alonso [and say], hey man, this is what I’m thinking and he’s like, I’m all up for it. Soto, this is what I’m thinking, and it’s like, whatever you need, skip. It makes my job a lot easier,” Mendoza said. “The numbers are going to be there regardless of where [Soto and Alonso are] hitting but I felt like switching it up a little bit here might help the whole team and we’ll see. We’ll go from there.”

This is also an attempt to get Marte’s bat going. The veteran outfielder came into the day slashing .211/.315/.329 over 30 games after hitting .269 in 90 games last year. Mendoza had no qualms with Marte navigating the Green Monster, and said he’d been practicing there while the Mets have been in town.

Adjusting to irregular playing time “wasn’t easy at the beginning, but I think he’s in a place now where understanding his situation, understanding his role, trying to stay ready, adjusting his routine,” Mendoza said.

Added Marte, via an interpreter: “I think for anybody, it would be a little bit difficult with [less] playing time, but at the same time, it’s something that I’m trying to get accustomed to, so I’m going to go out there and continue to work the way that I have and go out there and be able to perform at the level they expect.”

Francisco Lindor was seen barking at Tuesday home plate umpire Mike Estabrook to toss pitcher Walker Buehler and Red Sox manager Alex Cora, but there are no hard feelings – at least on Lindor’s part. (Both Buehler and Cora were ejected in the third.)

“I kept on saying 'throw him out' because...Buehler is a great pitcher,” said Lindor, who considers Cora a mentor and even had breakfast with him before the game Wednesday. "You get a guy that wasn’t expecting to pitch, now he has to come in, so it puts him in jeopardy and now you have to bring guys that pitched the day before earlier in the game to throw an inning and a third, two innings, so it stretches the bullpen. It puts the team at a disadvantage and as a competitor, I want all the advantages possible."

After the game Tuesday, Buehler, when asked about Lindor, told reporters, “I wouldn’t want me out there, either.”

There appears to be no love lost between the two, as Buehler cursed out Lindor when he was pitching with the Dodgers during last year’s NLCS.

“I don’t have anything against Buehler,” Lindor said. “I’m a lover. I don’t really care.”

Jose Siri (broken tibia) is sprinting, throwing up to 120 feet, and hitting against the velo machine, Mendoza said. Paul Blackburn (knee) allowed one hit over seven scoreless innings with two walks and six strikeouts over 87 pitches in a rehab assignment with Triple-A Syracuse. The Mets haven't determined what his role will be when he returns, or even if they’ll slot him in for another rehab game.