For most of the game, Math Day at Security Service Field was a Franklin Morales clinic in varying velocity.

With speeds that dropped to as low as 65 mph and climbed as high as 94, Morales found a formula that equaled a bunch of zeros for Reno.

His audience – thousands of elementary and middle school students – likely missed the lesson as its attention was diverted by Sox the Fox.

His bullpen missed it too, as a five-run eighth wasted Morales’ six shutout innings and a two-run lead, sending the Sky Sox to a 5-2 loss Wednesday.

In the bullpen’s defense, an error by third baseman Kenny Perez prevented an inning-ending double play when the score was tied in the eighth.

“We had chances early in the game, the score there shouldn’t have been 2-0,” said Sky Sox manager Tom Runnells, whose team has dropped two of three after starting 3-0.

But as development goes, the day had to be pleasing for Rockies fans keeping an eye on Morales.

Other than five walks – two coming in the sixth inning as he approached 90 pitches – Morales dominated. He gave up two hits and let just one runner reach third base as he kept up his strong start against the Diamondbacks organization.

In Morales’ first start of the season – as a member of the Rockies – he earned a victory while giving up one run and four hits in six innings against Arizona on April 8.

Morales was demoted to Triple-A immediately after that game in a move that will allow him to get regular work as the Rockies navigate an April schedule checkered with off days. Colorado’s depth chart lists only four starters, a strong indicator Morales will step back in as soon as the schedule sets up for a five-man rotation – most likely after one more start with the Sky Sox, though Runnells said he didn’t know any specific dates.

“It’s the same,” Morales said of stepping down to Triple-A. “I need to get my work and I need to do what I need to do.”

His work left an impression on his catcher.

“He changed speeds on his fastball, which is actually really nice,” veteran Sal Fasano said of the 23-year-old lefty. “A lot of kids don’t really do that, they just try to beat the gun to death. But to be able to throw one harder and then come back and take a little off, he’s got a pretty good handle on pitching.”

Reno manager Brett Butler beamed about his team’s performance, particularly the resilience to stay in the game.

“Here’s a guy who a week or so ago he shut the big-league club down,” Butler said. “It’s good for us because it gives you kind of a yardstick to try to measure yourself by. I mean, he’s a major league pitcher, and now we get a chance to see how we fare against him. The guys battled.

“That’s one of those good ballgames,” Butler added, “that goes back-and-forth and decisions are made and you get it done and it’s just great.”

MAJOR LEAGUE MOMENT

Catchers on both sides – Sal Fasano of the Sky Sox and John Hester of Reno – displayed strong throwing arms, catching three of four runner attempting to swipe second base. Fasano threw out the one runner challenging him, while Hester nabbed two, including the speedy Eric Young Jr.

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