As the Rockies enter the final couple of weeks before the All-Star Break, they've elected to go with nine men in the bullpen and three on the bench, sending Ryan McMahon back to Triple-A a day after he saved their bacon with a three-run homer to sink the Mets. At this stage, with a bullpen that is historically bad, how much crazier could things really get?

Should the Rockies test out something crazy like an opener for games, especially with their struggles in the first inning among starting pitchers? We'll discuss, plus what types of solutions could lie around for the bullpen (hint: there aren't many).

Even with all the struggles, the Rockies entered their Thursday series finale against the Mets with a chance at a series win and sitting just 4.5 games out of first place in the National League West. We'll discuss some of the reasons behind their success, including Ian Desmond's surge and the rise (finally) of Tom Murphy.

Plus, this weekend the Rockies will welcome in a host of former stars for 25th anniversary celebration festivities. If they were to celebrate the worst players in franchise history for Bizarro Weekend, who would those be? We debate.

It's the 138th episode of the Purple Dinosaur Podcast! Light it on fire and put it on top of a birthday cake!