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With Wright now sidelined, possibly for the rest of the season, the 2009 Opening Day roster is beginning to resemble a list of French War College graduates in 1914. Slowly but surely, like one of those wretched Final Destination movies, Mets players are being picked off one by one. And yet the season must go on, at least for another six weeks.

Monday, August 17 10:05 PM MLB NY Yankees at Athletics 7:10 PM MLB NY Mets vs. Giants 8:00 PM NLF NY Giants vs. Carolina Tuesday, August 18 10:05 PM MLB NY Yankees at Athletics 7:10 PM MLB NY Mets vs. Braves Wednesday, August 19 10:05 PM MLB NY Yankees at Athletics 7:10 PM MLB NY Mets vs. Braves 7:00 PM WNBA NY Liberty at Ct 7:05 PM MiLB Cyclones at State College TBA at State College 2009 NYPL All-Star Game 7:00 PM MiLB SI Yanks vs. Tri-City Valley Thursday, August 20 7:10 PM MLB NY Mets vs. Braves 7:05 PM MiLB Cyclones at State College 7:00 PM MiLB SI Yanks vs. Tri-City Valley Friday, August 21 7:10 PM MLB NY Yankees at Red Sox 7:10 PM MLB NY Mets vs. Phillies 7:30 PM WNBA NY Liberty vs. Ct 7:05 PM MiLB Cyclones at State College 7:00 PM MiLB SI Yanks at Tri-City Valley Saturday, August 22 4:10 PM MLB NY Yankees at Red Sox 7:10 PM MLB NY Mets vs. Phillies 7:05 PM MiLB Cyclones at Aberdeen 7:05 PM MiLB SI Yanks at Hudson Valley Sunday, August 23 1:35 PM MLB NY Yankees at Red Sox 1:10 PM MLB NY Mets vs. Phillies 3:00 PM MLS NY Red Bulls vs. Dallas 4:00 PM WNBA NY Liberty vs. Minn 5:35 PM MiLB Cyclones at Aberdeen 1:05 PM MiLB SI Yanks at Hudson Valley

The now-Wrightless Mets will look for a rare series non-loss when they host the Giants to complete a four-game set. After rallying for a victory in the third game, New York sends Livan Hernandez to the mound opposite Joe Martinez in an attempt at a split. After the Giants leave town, the Braves and Phillies will show up for three and four games, respectively. At the beginning of the season, a lot of Mets fans probably circled these games on their calendars as crucial to the National League East race. Well, they still will be; Atlanta and Philadelphia need every win they can get in the division as they battle each other for first place.

Yankees: You can't win them all, but the Yankees are sure trying. Despite a 10-3 loss to Seattle that kept New York from sweeping the Mariners (projected New York Post headline: "SWEEPLESS IN SEATTLE"), the Bombers still took three out of four, pushing their post-All-Star break record to an absurd 23-6. Now 7.5 games up on Boston in the American League East, the Yankees can effectively end the division race when they take on the Red Sox in Fenway at the end of the week in a three-game set.

Before New York shovels its final load of dirt onto Boston, however, they need to wrap up their current West Coast trip with a quick three-game series in Oakland. A.J. Burnett will start the first game opposite former Yankee Brett Tomko, who will no doubt turn in a performance that will have Brian Cashman ruing the day he signed Tomko's release papers. CC Sabathia will follow against New Jersey product Vin Mazzaro, and recent acquisition Chad Gaudin will make his first career start in a Yankees uniform, going against Brett Anderson to end the series.

Giants: Giants fans will finally get to see the 2009 team in action, or at least bits and pieces of it before a bunch of third-stringers play touch football for three quarters. Big Blue will open its preseason with a Monday night tilt at home against Carolina and, in some bonus football, play again on Saturday at Chicago. Don't expect to see too much of Eli Manning or the first-team defense, at least not against the Panthers.

Red Bulls: Hey fans! Futility has a new home. With Saturday's loss to Chivas, the Red Bulls are now on a 14-game winless streak. New York has won just twice this year, has lost 16 times in only 22 games and is assured of the worst season in franchise history since 1999, when they were still the MetroStars and our innocence in MLS was still fresh. Next up for the Red Bulls: Dallas at home. Predicted attendance at Giants Stadium: 30.

Liberty: The Liberty split their last week, beating Los Angeles in a come-from-behind win and dropping a home game against Chicago. This week will be much busier, with a trip to Washington and a home game against Minnesota sandwiching a home-and-home series with bitter tri-state rival Connecticut.

Cyclones/Yankees: The Cyclones are rolling, with four wins in their last six games, each of those victories by two runs or less. The Yankees were not to be outdone, however, winning five of their last six in their best attempt to emulate the parent club, something the Cyclones shouldn't attempt to do. Brooklyn will be on the road this week with three games at State College and two at Aberdeen before a home series against Vermont. Staten Island will host Tri-City for two, travel to Tri-City for one, and then play two at Hudson Valley before three against Oneonta.