Goldschmidt: RISP monster

CHICAGO — Paul Goldschmidt is good enough as it is, but when he has come to the plate with runners in scoring position, he has been even better.

His numbers this season in RISP situations are borderline unbelievable, and they got even better the past two days against the Chicago Cubs. Goldschmidt crushed a go-ahead grand slam in the eighth inning on Saturday night and followed that by delivering another tie-breaking hit, a run-scoring single, late in Sunday’s win.

In 48 at-bats with runners in scoring position, Goldschmidt has a .458 average. He entered Sunday with a .482 on-base and .915 slugging, making his 1.397 OPS in RISP situations the best in the National League. In the majors, only Detroit’s Miguel Cabrera (.585 on-base, .956 slugging) was better.

Goldschmidt’s grand slam on Saturday came in his fifth plate appearance. Hestruck out in his first three and walked in his fourth.

“To be able to overcome his start, he just really understood that he had a chance to win the game in his next at-bat,” Diamondbacks manager Kirk Gibson said.

Goldschmidt remains as unassuming about his success as he was when he first reached the majors less than two years ago.

“I think he understands you’ve got to kind of keep a level head and not get too excited over things,” Gibson said. “He realizes the journey that he’s on and how long it is, and that’s kind of one of the ways he leads.”

Big talk

Cubs right-hander Jeff Samardzija remained a topic of conversation on Sunday, a day after he took a no-decision in the Diamondbacks’ 12-4 win on Saturday night.

Samardzija impressed the Diamondbacks with his stuff but got under their skin by being vocal.

“It’s part of the game,” Gibson said. “Whatever. He didn’t get the win, did he? Maybe the next time he should just shut the (expletive) up and pitch.”

Samardzija exchanged words with third-base coach Matt Williams after an inning, said something to outfielder A.J. Pollock after another inning and was yelling at opposing pitcher Ian Kennedy after Kennedy was almost hit by a pitch. Williams said he lost respect for Samardzija. “He said, ‘What are you looking at?’ I told him, ‘I’m not looking at you,’ ” Williams said. “I have no respect for him showing somebody up on the field. ... I didn’t say a word to him, and I don’t have any respect for that.”

Short hops

against the Cardinals.

» Gibson said he did not want to push infielder Willie Bloomquist by starting him two days in a row so soon after coming off the disabled list. Gibson did not sound likely to start Bloomquist more than two or three days in a row at any point this season.

Left-hander Tyler Skaggs was scratched from his scheduled start on Saturday for Triple-A Reno, another indication that he will likely take injured right-hander Brandon McCarthy’s spot in the rotation on Tuesday