2018 file photo

Despite the recent Memorial Day controversy at Chukchansi Park, the Fresno Grizzlies garnered the largest crowd they have experienced this season, away or at home.

A 2019 season record of 12,962 people came to see the Triple-A team play the Salt Lake Bees this past Friday.

Even with the home crowd advantage however, the Grizzlies lost to The Bees with a final score of 1-13. A 12-batter, seven-hit fourth inning from the Bees is what helped sink the Grizzlies for the game.

The Fresno Grizzlies made national headlines in May after airing a Memorial Day Tribute montage on the stadium’s television screens which featured clips of Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez apparently being equated to “enemies of freedom,” lumped in with the late Cuban dictator Fidel Castro and North Korea’s dictator Kim Jong-un.

Following the controversy, Sun-Maid Growers ended its corporate sponsorship with the Grizzlies. Shortly after, Heineken International also ended its relationship with the baseball team. Heineken International owns both Tecate and Dos Equis, both of whom were major sponsors of the Grizzlies.

“Unfortunately what was supposed to be a moving tribute ended with some misleading and offensive editing, which made a statement that was not our intent and certainly not our opinion,” the Fresno Grizzlies said on their Twitter account. “We apologize to our fans and to our community for the error.”

The Grizzlies next game will be on June 4 against New Orleans.