Citrus Series

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Citrus Series
Teams
First meetingJune 22, 1998
Marlins 3, Devil Rays 2
Latest meetingSeptember 26, 2021
Rays 3, Marlins 2
Next meetingMay 24, 2022
Statistics
Meetings total128
Most winsRays
Regular season seriesRays, 71–58
Largest victoryRays, 15–2 (2009)
Longest win streak
  • Marlins, 7 (2004–2005)
  • Rays, 9 (2018–2020)
Current win streakRays, 3

The Citrus Series is the name given to the interleague series between the Miami Marlins and Tampa Bay Rays in Major League Baseball. The Marlins broke into the league in 1993 as the Florida Marlins,[1] while the Rays had their first season in 1998 as the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.[2] The first meeting between the two teams took place on June 22, 1998 at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Florida during the Rays' inaugural season. Beginning with the 2012 season, when the Marlins are the home team games are played at LoanDepot Park, formerly known as Marlins Park until the 2021 season. From 1998 to 2011, the games were played at the currently-named Hard Rock Stadium, though it has been known by several names in its existence.

Currently, because the Marlins play in the National League, and the Rays in the American League, the only possible postseason matchup the teams can have is in the World Series, though this has never happened. Both teams have had appearances in the Fall Classic, however. The Marlins have won both of their World Series appearances in 1997 and 2003, while the Rays lost both of their appearances in 2008 and 2020.

Former Rays manager Joe Maddon said he did not consider the Citrus Series a true rivalry. "I really don't honestly believe the fans see it as being a rivalry, I really don't. The best way to get that done is to include us in the same league or the same division. That might stir something up."[3][4]

Weeks after the Marlins concluded a characteristic fire sale that brought in less expensive players such as Yunel Escobar from the Toronto Blue Jays, the Marlins traded Escobar to the Rays for minor leaguer Derek Dietrich.[5]

Currently, the two teams play each other four times each season. During seasons in which the interleague schedule division rotation matches up the teams' two divisions, six games are played between them. Prior to 2013, six games were always played, with the exception of 1998 and 2003.

Series year-by-year results[]

Season Season series at Florida/Miami Marlins
TB-MIA 		at Tampa Bay (Devil) Rays
MIA-TB 		Notes
1998 Marlins 3–1 4–8; 1–5 3–2(12); 4–6 Devil Rays' inaugural season
1999 Marlins 5–1 4–11; 9–8; 2–3 10–0; 9–7; 11–6
2000 Tie 3–3 8–3; 5–6; 9–10 4–6; 5–1; 6–7
2001 Marlins 4–2 4–7; 0–11; 4–6 4–5(11); 3–4; 6–1
2002 Devil Rays 4–2 4–3(14); 0–3; 4–1 0–4; 3–2; 5–6(12)
2003 Marlins 3–0 1–3(11); 0–2(5); 2–3 no games Marlins win World Series
2004 Devil Rays 4–2 4–2; 6–1; 3–4 0–2; 4–6; 11–4
2005 Marlins 6–0 6–7; 3–4; 5–8 7–4; 6–2; 1–0
2006 Devil Rays 4–2 8–5; 8–4; 1–3 4–5(10); 3–4; 0–3
2007 Marlins 4–2 8–14; 7–2; 9–4 8–4; 7–2; 4–3
2008 Rays 5–1 6–4; 15–3; 6–1 3–7; 1–4; 9–3 Devil Rays shorten their name to "Rays" and also win AL Pennant
2009 Rays 5–1 15–2; 10–3; 4–5(11) 3–7; 2–3; 2–5
2010 Marlins 4–2 4–7; 9–8(11); 1–4 14–9; 5–6; 6–1 Rays win AL East
2011 Rays 4–2 3–5; 3–5; 4–0 1–5; 4–7; 1–2 Rays win AL Wild Card
2012 Rays 5–1 5–1; 13–4; 4–2 0–11; 4–3(15) 0–3 Marlins change name to "Miami Marlins" and Marlins Park opens
2013 Rays 4–0 3–1; 5–2 6–10; 6–7 Rays win AL Wild Card
2014 Marlins 4–0 1–3; 0–1 5–4; 11–6
2015 Rays 5–1 9–10(10); 2–0; 8–5 2–4; 4–6; 1–4
2016 Marlins 3–1 6–7; 4–3 4–3; 9–1
2017 Rays 3–1 4–2; 3–1 10–6; 1–5
2018 Marlins 4–2 2–3; 9–6(16); 0–3 6–5; 3–2; 4–6
2019 Rays 4–0 4–0; 1–0 6–8; 2–7 Rays win AL Wild Card
2020 Rays 5–1 2–0; 4–0; 12–7 4–5; 7–3; 4–5(10) First time both teams qualify for postseason together; Rays win AL pennant
2021 Rays 5–1 1–0, 6–4, 7–12 0–8, 3–7, 2–3
Overall Rays 71–58 at Florida/Miami Marlins
Rays, 35–31 		at Tampa Bay (Devil) Rays
Rays, 36–27

References[]

  1. ^ Marlins History
  2. ^ Rays History
  3. ^ Chiang, Anthony (June 19, 2011). "Rays don't view Citrus Series as rivalry". MLB.com. Retrieved July 13, 2011.
  4. ^ Fennelly, Martin (June 19, 2011). "Some rivalry Citrus Series has become". Tampa Tribune. Archived from the original on October 9, 2012. Retrieved July 13, 2011.
  5. ^ "Marlins send Yunel Escobar to Rays". ESPN. Associated Press. December 5, 2012.

See also[]

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