Many in the crowd of 4,467 at Security Service Field on Sunday were blissfully unaware that a key piece of a potential Colorado Rockies’ run to a playoff spot was about to take a crucial test.

What they found out was that on the surface, at least, Jeff Francis easily passed.

In his 48-pitch rehab start, Francis worked three shutout innings, giving up a bloop single, striking out three and walking one.

Of course, the important thing is how the left shoulder feels this morning.

“Today, it felt good. Hopefully, I can get back to the team soon,’’ Francis said after departing a game the Sky Sox lost, 3-2, to the Sacramento RiverCats.  “I’ve battled soreness here and there, but I was able to let the ball go.’’

Francis struggled with his control in a 23-pitch first inning, but dominated after that, hitting 92 mph on one pitch and getting several outs with 71-mile-an-hour changeups.

The hit against him, by Adrian Cardenas, came in the third inning. And he was erased as part of a ground-ball double play by Corey Wimberley.

“He looked good today,” said Sky Sox catcher Paul Phiiips, whose single tied the game 2-2 in the seventh inning before the RiverCats won it in the ninth. “His stuff was as good as it always is; he was locating his fastball and that opened up the avenues for strikes on his other pitches.’’

Francis threw 37 fastballs, seven changeups and four curveballs not by design. As Phillips said, “He was throwing his fastball really well today, so there was no need to deviate from that.’’

The next move, assuming his shoulder doesn’t hurt in the morning, is up to the Rockies. Francis is 4-4 in 16 starts for the Rockies after missing the 2009 season after shoulder surgery.

“It’s frustrating. You want to go out and pitch. But sometimes, it hurts so bad you just can’t go any more,’’ Francis said. “I want to get out there the help the team. I want to get back for the last month.’’

After Francis left, Ching-Lung Lo, originally scheduled to start, impressed in four innings, giving up three hits and two unearned runs.

“The only thing I focus on was going as long as I can,’’ the Taiwanese native said in somewhat broken English. His outing, his first extended duty at the Triple-A level, was duly noted.

“He threw the ball well,’’ Sky Sox manager Stu Cole said. “He changed speeds, kept the ball down, and gave us the innings we needed. We’re light in the bullpen right now.’’

Another rehabbing Rockies player, Matt Daley worked a perfect eighth before the RiverCats won it in the ninth against Luis Ayala (2-10). Travis Buck and Corey Brown singled and Michael Taylor followed with a sacrifice fly.

Sacramento, which piled up 39 hits in the first two games of the series, had only six in this one, but still beat the Sky Sox for the third straight time.

Cardenas and Josh Donaldson had two hits each for the RiverCats, with Cardenas’ second hit driving in a run. Wimberley drove in the other run on a squeeze play, his seventh RBI in the series.

Mike Paulk had two hits and scored twice for the Sky Sox, continuing a fine season-ending series. He is 7-for-14 with five runs and five RBIs in the three games. Chris Frey and Matt Miller added two hits apiece.

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