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HOUSTON — Juan Soto showed up for the Mets’ opening series of the season, but he didn’t receive much help.

A lineup built to torment opponents isn’t there yet.

Start with Francisco Lindor, who went hitless in the three games, and then skip over Soto before working down the batting order.

The Mets aren’t hitting.

On Saturday they managed only one hit in a 2-1 loss to the Astros at Daikin Park in the series rubber game.

All told, the Mets scored five runs over the three games and can only hope a jaunt to Miami for a series against the perennially undermanned Marlins can awaken their slumbering bats.

Lindor, who finished 0-for-11 in the series, left the tying run stranded at second base in the eighth inning as part of a frustrating performance for the Mets, who finished 0-for-8 with runners in scoring position.

“I have got to do a way better job to be on base and to make things happen,” Lindor said. “Once I do that, I think the offense is going to continue to get better. I feel like guys had quality at-bats the entire weekend.”

Lindor, Pete Alonso, Brandon Nimmo and Mark Vientos were a combined 4-for-42 (.095) in the series. Soto, who had the Mets’ lone hit on Saturday, reached base seven times in the three games and hit the team’s only homer.

On this night the Mets’ chief tormenter was Spencer Arrighetti, who allowed one earned run on one hit over six innings.

“I think we were in between a little bit,” manager Carlos Mendoza said. “He left a lot of cutters around the middle that we didn’t attack and then he started mixing and guys were in between overall. We didn’t hit that many balls hard.”

The Mets received a solid outing from Griffin Canning in his first start for his new team.

The right-hander became the first Mets starting pitcher this season to record an out in the sixth inning.

Overall, he lasted 5 ²/₃ innings and surrendered two earned runs on four hits and two walks with four strikeouts.

Canning topped out at 96 mph with his four-seam fastball, an uptick from what the Mets saw in spring training, when he sat mostly in the 93-94 mph range.

“It’s nice to come out and see that,” Canning said.

Soto’s double off the left field wall in the first and Nimmo’s two-out walk gave the Mets a rally, but Arrighetti struck out Vientos — the first of 13 straight batters he retired.

Canning allowed an infield single to Jose Altuve leading off the game for the Astros and didn’t surrender another hit until the fifth.

Chas McCormick drew a two-out walk in the third and was left stranded. Isaac Paredes walked leading off the fourth, but Canning got Christian Walker to hit into an inning-ending double play.

In the fifth, Jeremy Peña smashed a 2-1 slider into the left field seats for the game’s first run. It was the first homer allowed by the Mets in the series.

Jose Siri’s speed helped the Mets tie it 1-1 in the sixth. After drawing a leadoff walk and stealing second, Siri reached third on Lindor’s fly out. Soto followed with a grounder that Arrighetti fielded before looking toward third base.

As Arrighetti threw to first base for the out, Siri broke for the plate and slid across headfirst with the tying run.

Canning allowed a single to Altuve in the sixth and with two outs worked the count to 2-2 on Yordan Álvarez, who blasted a slider off the center field fence for a double to put the Mets in a 2-1 hole.

“I have had some tough battles with [Álvarez],” said Canning, a former Angels pitcher who faced the Astros in the AL West. “It’s just unfortunate to end it that way. I felt it was the right pitch there. I just didn’t quite execute it.”

Luis Torrens walked leading off the eighth and pinch runner Luisangel Acuña stole second. But Brett Baty and Siri struck out in succession before Lindor was retired to end the threat.

Soto walked leading off the ninth against Josh Hader and reached second with two outs before Vientos hit a line drive that was caught by Peña to end the game.