CHICAGO --
How did Bote celebrate the news? He went out and collected career highs in hits (four) and RBIs (seven) in one of the best offensive performances in the Cubs' long, storied history. Bote joined Ed Bailey (July 22, 1965) and Heinie Zimmerman (June 11, 1911) as the only Cubs players in recorded history to have four hits and at least seven RBIs in only four plate appearances.\n\nThat helped overcome a tough night for the Cubs' bullpen and propelled the North Siders back into first place alone atop the National League Central.\n\nAgainst Marquez, Bote singled to right in the third and launched a three-run home run into the left-center bleacher seats in the fifth. He then capped off a five-run rally in the sixth with a three-run double into the left-field corner off lefty Chris Rusin. In the eighth, Bote pushed another offering to right field -- this time against Bryan Shaw -- for an RBI single that provided a crucial insurance run.\n\nAs Bote settled into his stance in the eighth, the Wrigley Field crowd unleashed chants of his name: \"BO-TE! BO-TE!\"\n\n\"That never gets old,\" he said with a grin.
\n\nBote's performance gave him a .425/.465/.825 slash line over his past 15 games, in which he has four homers and 14 RBIs in 43 plate appearances. That comes after a 14-game stretch that saw Bote post a .476 OPS with a 56.8 percent ground-ball rate. In the next 14 games, leading up to Wednesday, Bote trimmed the ground-ball rate to 28 percent and returned to a more opposite-field approach (28 percent in the last 14 games vs. 18.9 percent in the 14-game slump).\n\nOn the season, Bote is now batting .289 with an .866 OPS and 126 [wRC+](http://m.mlb.com/glossary/advanced-stats/weighted-runs-created-plus \"undefined\"), indicating he has performed 26 percent better than league average as a hitter.\n\n\"He has befriended right-center,\" Cubs manager Joe Maddon said. \"I didn't realize the \\[recent\\] numbers were that heavy, but I knew that he'd been swinging the bat much better. For me, from the side, it's a shorter approach. It's a more handsy approach, and it's a more centered approach, and that's why I think you’re seeing a better result.\"\n\nThere could be an inspired debate over which tilt should now be called The David Bote Game. Fans could easily go with this one, given the all-around output from the second baseman. More likely, though, Cubs fans would stick with Aug. 12 of last season, when Bote belted a pinch-hit, walk-off grand slam against the Nationals.
\n\n \n\nThere is no debating when The Ryne Sandberg Game took place. That was June 23, 1984, and Bote is more than familiar with that one.\n\n\"Oh, yeah. I see it on the board every game,\" Bote said. \"They pull up the legendary moments.\"\n\nIn that game, more than three decades ago, Sandberg had two homers, five hits and seven RBIs in a wild 12-11 win over the rival Cardinals. Prior to Bote's performance against the Rockies -- the team he grew up watching as a kid in Colorado -- Sandberg's performance marked the last seven-RBI showing by a Cubs second baseman.
\n\n \n\nBote now joins Sandberg, Rogers Hornsby (twice in 1931) and Zimmerman as the only second basemen in team history with at least seven RBIs in a single contest.\n\nOf course, this day will not only be remembered for what Bote did on the field. Fans will also look back on this day fondly due to what the front office pulled off behind the scenes.\n\nWord of Kimbrel's deal -- one expected to become official after he completes a physical -- spread through the dugout during the game and continued to dominate the conversation following the win. Bote may have learned about it from the TV broadcast, but first baseman
\n\nAnd Rizzo was excited about what the pending addition of Kimbrel represented.\n\n\"This is big. It's a credit to them believing in us,\" Rizzo said. \"This is what we're trying to do. We're trying to win the last game of the season this year. The World Series. It's not just get to the playoffs and hope for the best. Our expectations are set through the roof.\"\n\nVeteran starter