There was no Knute Rockne moment, but Notre Dame didn’t need one. The Fighting Irish made a statement with simplicity Saturday at the Pinstripe Bowl, when they emerged from a halftime tie and dominated the rest of the game. Notre Dame wore down Rutgers down-by-down and drive-by-drive and held the ball for 20 minutes in the second half en route to a 29-16 win.

There was no Knute Rockne moment, but Notre Dame didn’t need one. The Fighting Irish made a statement with simplicity Saturday at the Pinstripe Bowl, when they emerged from a halftime tie and dominated the rest of the game. Notre Dame wore down Rutgers down-by-down and drive-by-drive and held the ball for 20 minutes in the second half en route to a 29-16 win.

The Royals on Saturday signed former Indians utility man Jason Donald and former Yankees outfielder Melky Mesa to Minor League contracts.

Ten days after agreeing to a two-year contract with free-agent relief pitcher Joaquin Benoit, the Padres officially consummated the deal on Saturday. In addition, the club designated right-handed pitcher Adys Portillo for assignment.

Ten days after agreeing to a two-year contract with free-agent relief pitcher Joaquin Benoit, the Padres officially consummated the deal on Saturday. In addition, the club designated right-handed pitcher Adys Portillo for assignment.

Masahiro Tanaka finds himself in the perfect storm. Never has a foreign player had the leverage Tanaka has now that the Rakuten Golden Eagles posted him for Major League teams to bid on.

Masahiro Tanaka finds himself in the perfect storm. Never has a foreign player had the leverage Tanaka has now that the Rakuten Golden Eagles posted him for Major League teams to bid on.

Chris Davis seemed headed for a journeyman career prior to being acquired by Baltimore in 2011. He then turned his career around in 2012, producing an .827 OPS and 33 home runs. And while some might have suspected that performance to be a fluke, it actually turned out to be a warmup act for one of the most prolific power displays in recent memory.

Orioles prospect Francisco Peguero had an RBI single as Gigantes topped Escogido, 2-0, on Friday in Dominican Winter League action.

The Yankees have taken their first steps in pursuit of Japanese standout Masahiro Tanaka, touching base with the right-hander’s representatives, according to multiple reports.

The Yankees have taken their first steps in pursuit of Japanese standout Masahiro Tanaka, touching base with the right-hander’s representatives, according to multiple reports.

The starting-pitching market has focused on Japanese right-hander Masahiro Tanaka, whose recent posting opened up what is sure to be a hotly contested bidding war. The 25-year-old is expected to command at least $17 million per season, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today.

The Angels’ one-year contract with Raul Ibanez became official Friday, when the 41-year-old outfielder/designated hitter passed his physical. Ibanez will be paid a base salary of $2.75 million, plus another $2.25 million in incentives.

The Angels plan to release right-hander Chris Volstad from his Minor League contract so he can pursue an opportunity to pitch in Korea. Meanwhile, buzz begins to build around Halos-target Mark Mulder’s potential return to baseball.

The Rangers not only signed outfielder Shin-Soo Choo, they also gave him the No. 17 jersey. That was Nelson Cruz’s number during his time with the Rangers. Cruz remains a free agent, and Choo’s signing makes it a near certainty that he is not returning to the Rangers.

Japanese pitcher Masahiro Tanaka has just emerged as the top prize on the free-agent market, but Rangers co-chairman Bob Simpson said, “I guess I should never say never, but at the moment, we’re more interested in just rounding out our team than marquee players.”

While it seems logical and likely that the Mariners will be one of the primary pursuers of Japanese free-agent pitcher Masahiro Tanaka over the next month, general manager Jack Zduriencik declined comment Friday when asked if Seattle has put in a bid for the talented 25-year-old.