Wrapping up one of their greatest regular seasons in franchise history, and reaching 100 wins for the first time since 1935, the Chicago Cubs Wednesday rewarded Theo Epstein, president of baseball operations, with a five-year extension. “In the five years under Theo’s leadership, he has brought in a strong executive team and acquired and developed some of the best players in the game,’’ chairman Tom Ricketts said. Terms were not disclosed, but Ricketts said the contract ‘‘ensures the baseball operations team assembled by Epstein will continue its remarkable tenure of building a consistent championship contender.’’ Epstein oversaw two World Series winners in nine seasons as Boston’s general manager before leaving for the Cubs following the 2011 season.

Rose makes Hall appeal

Attorneys for Pete Rose made a direct appeal to Hall of Fame president Jeff Idelson to restore the eligibility of baseball’s banned career hits leader. In a seven-page letter, Rose’s representatives argued the lifetime ban Rose agreed to in 1989 was never intended to keep him out of Cooperstown. In a statement, Idelson said, ‘‘Pete Rose remains ineligible for Hall of Fame consideration, based on the Hall of Fame’s bylaws, which preclude any individual on baseball’s ineligible list from being considered for election.’’ . . . Tim Tebow homered on the first pitch he saw in his instructional league debut with the New York Mets in Port St. Lucie, Fla. Tebow, who went 1 for 6 and put the ball in play in each plate appearance, went deep against St. Louis Cardinals prospect John Kilichowski, a lefthander who pitched for Vanderbilt and two St. Louis minor league affiliates.

Boston MarathonBAA caps 2017 field

The Boston Athletic Association announced nearly 3,000 runners who applied to run the 2017 Boston Marathon were not accepted into the April 17 race. The BAA received 26,171 applications and accepted 23,214 and capped the field at 30,000, which will be filled out by charity runners and others who receive invitations.

NHLPredators sign D Girard

The Nashville Predators signed defenseman Samuel Girard to a three-year, entry-level contract, general manager David Poile announced. Girard, 18, Nashville’s second-round selection (47th overall) in the 2016 NHL Draft, spent the last two seasons with the Shawinigan Cataractes of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey where he had 10 goals and 64 assists.

Miscellany

The summer is typically the slowest season for sports talk radio, but not in Boston. In the three-month Nielsen Audio Ratings for the June 16-Sept. 7 period, 98.5 The Sports Hub finished first in the men 25-54 demographic with a 9.8 share, while WEEI was second at 7.6. The Sports Hub has been the highest-rated Boston station in that demo for the past eight three-month periods, with the station’s morning, midday and afternoon programs all finishing ahead of rival WEEI in the latest rating period. The “Toucher and Rich’’ morning program (6-10 a.m.) drew the largest share (13.0) followed by the “Felger and Massarotti’’ afternoon drive (2-6 p.m.) with a 12.6 share.

Chad Finn

Moore (31) leads LynxMaya Moore scored 31 points, including 15 in the second quarter, to lead the host Minnesota Lynx to a 113-95 victory over the Phoenix Mercury in the first game of the WNBA semifinals . . . Candace Parker scored 19 of her 30 points in the first half, Nneka Ogwumike added 27, and the host Los Angeles Sparks beat the Chicago Sky, 95-75, in their WNBA semifinal opener . . . Sacred Heart linebacker Kevin Barry and Stonehill College quarterback Matt Foltz were named Gold Helmet winners for Week 4. Last Saturday, Barry had nine tackles and a 44-yard interception return to seal Sacred Heart’s 38-0 victory over Stony Brook. Foltz, meanwhile, amassed a school-record 448 yards total offense (season-high 330 passing, career-high 118 rushing) in a 45-34 victory at Saint Anselm College. . . . Burlington Free Press sportswriter Ted Ryan, who has covered college sports in Vermont for more than 45 years, was named recipient of the Hockey East’s Joe Concannon Media Award . . . Former Iowa All-American quarterback Randy Duncan died Tuesday night in Des Moines after a lengthy fight with cancer. He was 79.