C. Trent Rosecrans

crosecrans@enquirer.com

SAN FRANCISCO -- While everyone on Twitter seemed to second-guess Bryan Price's decision to send Aroldis Chapman out for the fourth straight day in the ninth inning of Saturday's game against the Giants, Price didn't.

In fact, the thought didn't even seem to occur to him until he was asked about it after the game.

"Second-guess? Second guess is something you do when you're not sure what you should do before the game starts," Price said. "I went out and watched him throw in the outfield, I talked to him, Jeff (Pico) talked to him, he felt great, as you saw, he was 99-102 mph with a good slider. He just worked them for a walk and set the table for Posey to deliver the big double and then he showed the tremendous grit to leave those runners on -- that saved the game for us. He didn't save the game for us in the ninth, but he saved the game for us in the ninth. "

That being said, Price noted it's unlikely Chapman will pitch for a fifth straight day on Sunday.

"It was really a gritty performance and we knew if he pitched today, he wouldn't most likely be able to pitch tomorrow," Price said late Saturday. "That most likely will be the case. I don't like to say that, but I think the Giants can figure it out. It's unlikely he would pitch tomorrow."

It was just the second time in Chapman's career that he's pitched four straight games -- the first was last September. He was more successful in that outing, striking out the side against the Dodgers on 13 pitches.

• Simon's great performance was overshadowed by the rest of the game. He allowed just one run on three this and a walk. He struck out four and used just 80 pitches, 56 for strikes.

"It's what he does," Price said of Simon. "It was one of those games unfortunately that we're down 1-0 and I had to hit for him. I know he wanted to stay in the game, but we had six outs to go and there's no way to let him hit in that situation."

• As noted in the game story, Reds outfielders didn't record a single putout. The last Major League team to go a game without an outfield putout was the Blue Jays on May 18 of this season against the Rangers.

• Zack Cozart was the first Red to record 11 assists in a game since Chris Sabo in 1988 and the first Reds shortstop to do it since Davey Concepcion in 1982.

• With a win on Sunday, the Reds would record their first The four-game series since May of 2012 when they beat the Braves in four at Great American Ball Park. They haven't swept a four-game road series since May of 2002, when they won four at Milwaukee's Miller Park.

The Reds last swept the Giants in four games in April of 1985 at Riverfront Stadium and haven't swept a four-game series in San Francisco since May of 1972.

Saturday's win assured the team of series win, its fifth straight. They haven't lost any of their last seven series, splitting the four-game set against the Dodgers at home earlier this month.

• Jay Bruce extended his hitting streak to nine games -- and he has multiple hits in his last four.

• The last word from Zack Cozart: "We're as confident as ever in Chappy. He gave up the run and got out of that inning, it was big. Second and third, nobody out. From then on, it's just a battle. Who can get that guy on and bunt him over? Whatever it is, you're trying what you can. I got the hit and we added on, which huge in making it easier on Jumbo getting out there, putting more runs up. We're pretty happy with the way we're playing right now. We want to celebrate tonight but tomorrow, we want to win four. We won three now, we want to win four here."