XFINITY’s #5ToFollow: Wednesday, September 18

1. Texas Rangers vs. Tampa Bay Rays

Details: Wednesday, September 18 @ 7:00 PM ET - Tropicana Field - Saint Petersburg, FL

Why Watch: With the playoffs less than two weeks away, it doesn’t get any better than late September baseball! With a pair of nine-game winners on the hill Wednesday night, the Rangers and Rays will try to create some distance in the Wild Card Standings. Derek Holland will bring an impressive 7-3 road record to The Trop on Wednesday night to face the Rays lineup. Thus far Holland has raked up 174 strikeouts against opponents this season. However, The Rays could have an answer for the Rangers lefty starter, in Evan Longoria. The All-Star third baseman is hitting .308 on the year against southpaws and is hitting .500 against the Rangers this season (6-12). Keep an eye on this matchup and don’t miss the race to the playoffs Wednesday night.

#5ToFollow Insider: Ian Malinowski - @dog_whelk

The managing editor at DRaysBay, Malinowski knows this Tampa team intimately. He projected the Rays would finish first wild card slot in the AL at the start of the season, and it looks like he could be spot on. If you’re watching on Wednesday, tweet Ian to talk MLB playoffs.

2. Los Angeles Dodgers vs. Arizona Diamondbacks

Details: Wednesday, September 18 @ 10:00 PM ET - Chase Field - Phoenix, AZ

Why Watch: This game is a must win for Arizona, as the Dodgers have locked up the division, but the Diamondbacks are a bubble team in the NL Wild Card Standings! The D’backs are a team that will never give up, a determination inspired by skipper Kirk Gibson. The Dodgers will try to slow down MVP candidate, Paul Goldschmidt, who is batting .377 with five homers and 18 RBIs against them this season, while attempting to continue to compile the third lowest ERA (3.29) in the MLB. Can the trend continue against Goldschmidt in the Arizona desert? Don’t miss the battle in the wild, wild NL West.

#5ToFollow Insider: Eric Stephen - @TrueBlueLA

SB Nation’s Dodger blog, True Blue LA, is a must follow for all fans of the NL West leaders. Stephen is tweeting his way through the Blue Crew’s stellar run in the second half, bringing you the latest on everything from Puig to Brian Wilson’s beard.

3. Clemson vs. North Carolina State

Details: Thursday, September 19 @ 7:30 PM ET - Carter-Finley Stadium - Raleigh, NC

Why Watch: Welcome to touchdown central! Thursday night in Raleigh we will see the Tigers and Wolfpack high-powered offenses take the field, and both teams know how to get into the end zone. These teams combine for 76+ points per game. Clemson is led by their Heisman contending quarterback, Tajh Boyd, who will look to build upon early season successful in his first road game of the year. History sides with NC State, as the last time these two teams met in Raleigh, the Wolfpack out scored the Tigers 37 – 13. Plus, this NC State team is built on ball control, which could help them slow down an explosive Clemson offense. Will the ground-and-pound style of NC State get the win against the air raid attack of Clemson on Thursday night? Tune in to see which style of play will payoff after the final whistle.

#5ToFollow Insider: David Pollack - @DavidPollack47

David Pollack will be live in Raleigh Thursday night, calling the game for ESPN. He’s a great follow on Twitter, who interacts with fans while tweeting out trends of the game. Every follower will feel Pollack’s passion for the game in his tweets.

4. Texas Southern vs. Jackson State

Details: Thursday, September 19 @ 7:30 PM ET - Veterans Memorial Stadium - Jackson, MS

Why Watch: The FCS has been in the headlines all season long, generating upset after upset, and now the conference is live on ESPNU as the Texas Southern Tigers take on the Jackson State Tigers. If you haven’t heard the name Zachary Pendleton by now, you will know it after Thursday night’s contest. The JSU wide receiver has made his presence felt on the field with 226 receiving yards and two touchdowns. Meanwhile, the Texas Southern defense has gambled a lot this season, seeing both negative/positive results. Most notably on the positive end, the Defense has forced 5 turnovers thus far, and will be attacking Pendleton and the ball Thursday night. Make sure to check out the FCS on ESPNU.

#5ToFollow Insider: The SWAC - @theswac

Follow the Southwestern Athletic Conference’s official handle for stats and updates live from Jackson, Miss. If you want to joint the Twitter conversation, use the hashtag #SWACFB.

5. Phoenix Mercury vs. Los Angeles Sparks

Details: Thursday, September 19 @ 10:00 PM ET - Staples Center - Los Angeles, CA

Why Watch: The WNBA postseason is here and two of the league’s top scoring teams are on the floor – the Mercury and Sparks. This series isn’t short on star power as there will be great matchups in the paint: Candace Parker vs. Britney Griner, and in the frontcourt: Diana Taurasi vs. Kristi Toliver. Will LA kickoff this best-of-five series with a home win or will the Mercury upset the second-seeded Sparks in game one?

#5ToFollow Insider: Michelle Smith - @macsmith413

Michelle Smith is a WNBA aficionado, who has the scoop on women’s hoops. She will be ready for the WNBA’s playoffs Thursday night and will be breaking down the games in 140 characters.