Wathan rips three home runs

? Dusty Wathan had a career day in the minors with his major-league dad in attendance.

The son of former Kansas City Royals catcher and manager John Wathan hit three homers, including a grand slam, and drove in nine runs to lead the Triple-A Buffalo Bisons over Toledo, 13-1, Thursday.

“He told me I outdid him,” the younger Wathan said.

The nine RBIs were the most by a Bisons player since the franchise returned to the Triple-A level in 1985. And Wathan became only the third player to have a three-homer game in the 18-year history of Buffalo’s Dunn Tire Park – the first since Gary Bennett did it for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre in 1998.

Wathan entered the game with four home runs and 10 RBIs in 25 games for Cleveland’s Triple-A affiliate.

“I just got some good pitches to hit today, and I got them in the air,” he said, shrugging his shoulders.

Besides a brief stint with the Royals in 2002, Dusty Wathan is a career minor-leaguer not known for his power.