Phillips Shines, Bullpen Falters as Cowboys Fall 9-6 to Kansas

One at-bat, one moment of faltered execution on a pitch and one decisive swing entirely flipped the trajectory of Oklahoma State's rubber game against Kansas.

Leading by two runs with two outs in the top of the fifth, OSU head coach Josh Holliday opted for veteran left-hander Drew Blake in relief for a lefty-lefty matchup with KU center fielder Tyson Owens. Out came senior southpaw Brennan Phillips, who had provided stability for OSU through 4 2/3 innings of work in his first weekend start this season, and in came Blake.

Instead, chaos unfolded. Two at-bats later, KU designated hitter Dariel Osoria watched an opposite-field grand slam plop into the right field stands, silencing the Stillwater crowd in a matter of seconds.

The Jayhawks pulled forward and attained an advantage they wouldn't come close to surrendering.

"There's a reason home runs are as celebrated as they are in baseball," Holliday said. "Especially when they come with three or four runs like they did against us today. They flip games, and that young man (Osoria) changed the game with one swing."

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Oklahoma State's 9-6 loss to No. 18 Kansas on Sunday at O'Brate Stadium not only handed the Cowboys their second straight series loss — and first at home this season — it underscored blemishes the Cowboys must address as the tail end of regular season play commences. Namely, maintaining late-game leads amid a plethora of injuries to key arms within the pitching staff.

Sunday merely exemplified that.

The Cowboys (24-16, 8-10 Big 12) struck first with an RBI groundout from Aidan Meola in the bottom of the first. The Jayhawks (29-11, 14-4 Big 12) countered with a bases-loaded walk from Dylan Schlotterback in the top of the second, but OSU followed with a leadoff, opposite-field homer from freshman right fielder Danny Wallace — who reached base safely five of 10 times on the weekend — to reclaim the lead. One inning later, left fielder Alex Conover extended his hitting streak to four games with a two-out, two-RBI single to make it 4-1 OSU.

All elements favored the Cowboys.

Phillips was in flow state on the mound, while Cowboy hitters were piecing together timely hits and thunderous blows, chasing KU starter Mason Cook after only 3 2/3 innings. In that moment, a series win felt inevitable for OSU.

Until it wasn't. And shortly after came the fifth-inning collapse.

Holliday said he envisioned Blake's slider toward the bottom of the strike zone to draw chase from Owens, or an inning-ending groundout. Instead, the opposite happened.

Blake walked Owens in four pitches, loading the bases for Osoria. Holliday countered with junior right-hander Kai Fyke, but to no avail.

Two pitches later came Osoria's grand slam, and ultimately, the game's decisive blow.

The Cowboys rallied over the latter innings, plating runs in the seventh and ninth. But three insurance runs over the eighth and ninth innings provided the Jayhawks enough of a cushion to secure the win, and overall, the series.

The rhythm established behind Phillips vanished, as a controlled, methodical game suddenly turned frantic. Holliday noted how Sunday was a reminder of how quickly one moment can drastically alter a game's trajectory.

Osoria's big swing didn't just change the scoreboard — it unraveled everything established in OSU's favor, a pattern the team's thin pitching depth has repeated late in games in recent weeks.

"(Kansas) had that big swing (from Osoria), and the grand slam was a momentum-changing swing, but we never went back at them with enough quality at-bats to bring the momentum back," Holliday said. "I thought we had opportunities to do that, but their relief pitching was sound. And yeah — just not enough."

Phillips provides stability in first weekend start

In his first weekend start this season, Phillips dazzled.

Phillips struck out four, allowing four runs on six hits and four walks over 4 2/3 innings of work, and was the first of five pitchers the Cowboys used on the day. He was pulled in the middle of the frame, ending what was an otherwise strong start for the left-handed veteran who has primarily been used in a relief role this season.

That, of course, came five days removed from a four-strikeout effort through 3 2/3 innings in OSU's win against Oklahoma on Tuesday. And while the Cowboys didn't win Sunday, Phillips cemented himself as a viable starting arm for an OSU pitching staff hampered by injuries down the stretch of the season.

"We got a good start from Brennan," Holliday said. "I thought he pitched his tail off. He really gave us a stable start.

"He's done everything that we've asked him to do, and he's competed well. He's thrown the ball well against some good clubs and some good offensive teams. He's done a really, really good job and he did a really good job today. So, no doubt he's (a starting option moving forward)."

Also on Sunday, southpaw Hudson Barrett, who started the season as OSU's ace, made his first appearance since a March 28 start at BYU, which he exited abruptly after only one inning due to arm soreness.

Barrett pitched one inning in the top of the eighth, allowing one hit and one run while striking out one. His pitch velocity, however, didn't appear weakened. His four-seam fastball sat at 94-95 mph, while his changeup, sinker, and slider all looked sharp.

Holliday told reporters postgame that Barrett's availability down the stretch will be contingent upon his pain tolerance over the ensuing days. Should he pass that test, Holliday said he plans to ease Barrett back into the pitching staff in the weeks ahead.

"If he can (stay healthy) and we can continue to factor him into the mix now — probably most likely as a late-inning arm and maybe in like a closer's type situation — that'll be good," Holliday said.

Looking ahead

Sitting at 24-16 and 8-10 in Big 12 play, Oklahoma State's postseason hopes are on edge.

It doesn't help that the Cowboys' remaining schedule is rather unforgiving, with a home series against TCU looming in two weeks, swiftly followed by a road series at No. 25 Arizona State one week later. But with that comes opportunities for this team to enhance its resume.

Only four weeks remain in the regular season. This week, OSU hosts rival Wichita State on Tuesday before traveling to West Texas for a clash with a free-falling Texas Tech team. The Red Raiders have lost five straight after suffering a sweep at Utah over the weekend, having dropped 11 of its last 15 and losing its past four Big 12 series.

At this point, a series victory would suffice for OSU. But a sweep would get the Cowboys over .500 in conference play for the first time this season. And with their RPI (Rating Percentage Index, a composite measure the NCAA uses to evaluate teams for postseason consideration) sitting at 48 after the series loss to Kansas, every opportunity matters moving forward — even midweek contests.

However, mastering such opportunities won't come easily. OSU hasn't played well on the road this season, posting a 6-9 record overall in away contests and a 2-7 mark in conference play. And while the Red Raiders' pitching staff has been harrowingly inefficient — a Big 12-worst 7.64 team ERA — the offense has been equally dangerous, boasting a conference-best .352 team batting average to go with 45 home runs. Given the multitude of key injuries OSU's pitching staff has endured, success won't come easily. It's also worth noting OSU hasn't won a series in Lubbock since 2017 and is 8-10 against Texas Tech in Lubbock under Holliday.

If the Cowboys can earn a series victory this weekend, they would be at 10-11 in conference play. Should they take at least one series against TCU or Arizona State, they would be at .500 in conference while their RPI should sit in the mid-to-lower 30s heading into a home series against a struggling Arizona team. Sweep the Wildcats, and a 16-14 clip in conference play should be enough to earn OSU a 13th-straight regional bid, assuming it wins at least one game in the Big 12 Tournament.

Even then, the margin for error has all but disappeared. Each remaining series now carries postseason implications, and what once felt like a gradual climb has turned into a week-to-week urgency. But above all else, the Cowboys have to worry about exorcising their road demons this weekend before worrying about what else lies ahead.

"We're week by week right now," Holliday said. "But if we can focus on everything one game at a time, that climb — midseason turnaround — will come. But we can't do otherwise at this point because we simply don't have the luxury of doing so."