On two consecutive nights, there were questions about whether Juan Soto was hustling down the line after putting the ball in play.

Smith quickly made it clear he not only has Soto’s back, but that he’s more concerned about New York Yankees captain Aaron Judge. Never mind that Judge, already a two-time AL MVP, entered Thursday hitting .402 with 16 home runs, 45 RBI, and an MLB-best 3.8 bWAR.

In search of an offensive spark, the Mets have shaken up the lineup for the series finale against the Boston Red Sox, moving Juan Soto down from the second spot to the third and Pete Alonso to the fourth spot in the order. Starling Marte hit second against left-hander Garrett Crochet and the Red Sox and played in left field, giving Nimmo a day off.