# Citrus Series

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, while the Rays had their first season in 1998 as the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. 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."
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.
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 | 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 2003 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," win AL East, lose 2008 World Series |
| 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 clinch 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 clinch 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 clinch 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 East, lose 2020 World Series |
| 2021 | Rays | 5–1 | 1–0; 6–4; 7–12 | 0–8; 3–7; 2–3 | Rays win AL East |
| 2022 | Rays | 4–0 | 7–2; 2–1$_{(10)}$ | 0–4; 4–5 | Rays clinch AL Wild Card |
| 2023 | Rays | 3–1 | 11–2; 3–0$_{(10)}$ | 1–4; 7–1 | Permanent adoption of the four-game series format, with two games in each ballpark every season. Both teams earn wild card berths but lose their respective Wild Card Games |
| Overall | Rays | 78–59 | at Florida/Miami Marlins Rays, 38–32 | at Tampa Bay (Devil) Rays Rays, 40–27 | |