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ATLANTA — Maybe it was a Friday the 13th thing. Or perhaps it was the bizarre power outage that darkened the field and brought play to a halt for 16 minutes in the top of the second inning. But whatever it was, the second half of the season got off to a strange and uneasy start for the Atlanta Braves, even though they beat the Mets 7-5 on Friday night.

The win had a kiss-your-sister feel for a couple of reasons. For starters, nobody knew who was going to play shortstop until a few minutes before the first pitch. With Andrelton Simmons in the cast for the next four weeks, there were questions all afternoon about whether or not Fredi Gonzalez would call up Tyler Pastornicky or Josh Wilson from Triple A, or whether a trade might be in the offing.

As the day wore on, no one was surprised when Jack Wilson took the field, although during batting practice Gonzalez asked left fielder Martin Prado to jump in and grab a few grounders.

“You’re our emergency shortstop,” Gonzalez joked.

It was no joke in the fourth inning when Wilson dove for a hard-hit ball to shallow center and came up without the ball, but holding his right hand awkwardly. Wilson went immediately to the clubhouse with a dislocated right pinky finger. While x-rays were negative, he went from presumptive three-week starter to day-to-day.

Prado moved to short for the duration of the game, making a couple of good plays in the middle innings.

“I was scared,” Prado said. “I knew when (Christhian) Martinez was pitching that he’s a groundball guy, and then (Eric) O’Flaherty is pitching, he’s a groundball guy. I just tried to anticipate things and talk to Dan (Uggla) and get in the right spot.”

The right spot seems to be wherever Prado lines up. In the clubhouse after the game catcher David Ross yelled to Gonzalez, “Hey, Skipper, I don’t want to see Prado blocking any pitches or anything tomorrow.”

Gonzalez laughed, but he understood what kind of asset Prado is in a tough situation. “For a day or two, he’s such a good athlete and has such great instincts that you can move him in and he’ll do whatever he has to do to help his team win.”

Prado has been rumored as a possible replacement for Chipper Jones at third base after this season, but Gonzalez has a lot more pressing concerns now. “Hopefully we can get somebody in here tomorrow,” he said.

And shortstop might not be the only pickups the Braves make in the coming days. The problem for this team has always been depth (or lack thereof) and as the games mount in the latter weeks of the season, injuries are bound to become a factor.

The other uneasy comes from the inconsistency of the pitching. Even though the Braves never trailed, Tim Hudson gave up four runs in the fourth before Gonzalez went through a plethora of relievers to seal the win.

“It just wasn’t a good outing,” Hudson said. “Thankfully I had some great teammates who stepped up and came through for me, and some great guys coming out the bullpen that were able to close it out.”

Among those teammates was Ross, starting in place of Brian McCann who was given the night off to attend the birth of his son, Colt Michael McCann, who came in at seven pounds and one ounce.

Ross hit a three-run homer in the third to give the Braves a 5-0 lead.

Hudson gave up four runs in the fourth but Chipper Jones stepped up in the sixth with a solo shot over the left field wall to make it a two-run game. The Braves added another on an Uggla RBI, scoring Freddie Freeman.

It was as piecemeal a victory as this team could put together, but it was a good win. The Braves remain four games behind the Nationals and extended their lead to a game and a half over the Mets.

Ben Sheets, who hasn’t thrown a pitch in a game in two years, will start on Sunday against the Mets, although cause for unease on the part of Fredi Gonzalez. But the skipper is taking it one step at a time.

“This was a very good win for our ballclub,” Gonzalez said. “Hopefully we can come out tomorrow and the next day and get a couple more.”

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Fredi Gonzalez has talked about the blips.

You know, the proverbial blips on the radar.

That’s how he’s described some of the starts by the Braves’ youngest starters a two-person group that includes Randall Delgado and Mike Minor this year.

Blips is a mild way to describe the bumps, some bigger than others, those two have faced this year. The latest one came in the form of the big, bad New York Yankees and their powerful bats.

But you know what, Delgado actually caused more damage to himself than the Yankees inflicted on him in their 3-0 victory over the Braves on Monday night.

He allowed five hits in five innings, but it was his career-high six walks and a wild pitch that caused the most consternation among the Braves. Only one of those batters scored, but innings were prolonged and his pitch count escalated because of those walks, soaring to 110 in just five innings.

“It was his first time facing the New York Yankees with 40,000-plus in the stands,” Gonzalez said. “I think he got himself a little amped up for the game. It’s something he can learn from.”

And that’s the key.

For both Delgado and Minor, who is scheduled to start Tuesday’s game against the Yankees.

They have to grow from these kinds of games, because the Braves need both of those guys to continue to progress and learn and mature into dependable starters if they want to contend in 2012.

Consistency is the biggest problem facing both Delgado, who is 22 years old, and Minor, who is 24. Monday’s start was a perfect example of the blips that Gonzalez has talked about.

Delgado pitched one of the best games of his brief time in the majors this was his 19th career start when he shut down the Marlins for six-plus innings on Wednesday.

He walked one in a start that was reminiscent of his best career outing, when he held the Giants to one hit and one run last Aug. 16.
And then the Yankees and all their boppers and homers and not-so-homegrown vocal fans, came marching into Turner Field.

Delgado was more revved up than a Sprint Cup car.

His velocity was fine. His control was finicky.

And one of the first curveballs he threw was sent screaming into the right-field seats by longtime Braves nemesis Raul Ibanez.

By then, the Yankees led 2-0 and Delgado hadn’t even walked a batter yet.

Three of those came in the third loading the bases one more in the fourth and the final two in the fifth. He maintained enough control to limit the damage, but the three runs were plenty for Yankees starter Ivan Nova, who shut the Braves down in his seven innings.

“That’s the biggest thing. He minimized the damage,” Gonzalez said. “He was excited. He was coming out of his delivery. In all honesty, he made some pitches. I think he had the bases loaded twice. And he got out of them giving up just one run. That’s a good stepping stone. You felt like you were in the game the whole night.”

Gonzalez liked what he saw from Delgado compared to several of his previous starts because this time he battled through his problems. Delgado has given up six home runs this year, but two of them have been grand slams and he set up another slam in another game.

On Monday, though, he coaxed Russell Martin to pop up with the bases loaded in the third. In the fifth, he struck out Nick Swisher and got Martin to ground into a fielder’s choice after walking two batters in front of them.

“I was trying to do my job the best I could do,” Delgado said. “I didn’t feel like my pitches were running good tonight. I tried to keep the game close when my location wasn’t good tonight.”

Gonzalez said: “For the most part, we saw this type of outing early in the year where he would give up a grand slam. He kept pitching, kept battling and kept us in the ball game.”

Now, it’s Minor’s turn to face the Yankees.

He was everything from tolerable to terrible for the better part of six weeks before coming through with an improved performance five walks and four hits, but only one run in a victory over the Marlins on Thursday.

It was his first win since April 19 and came in his first start after a May in which his ERA was 9.95.

Gonzalez has talked about the growing pains he expects with both Delgado and Minor.

He hopes he doesn’t have too many more of them on Tuesday night.

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Manager Fredi Gonzalez wants this team to be known for its pitching, and part of that hinges on good defense. That’s the reason rookie shortstop Tyler Pastornicky is back at Triple-A Gwinnett, replaced by even more of a rookie shortstop Andrelton Simmons, who made the jump from Double-A Mississippi.

The only reason Simmons was there was to settle down on offense after putting too much pressure on himself in spring training to make the team. It doesn’t hurt that that also delayed his arbitration clock.

There was never a question that Simmons’ defense was major league ready in March. That’s what the pitching needs behind it, particularly right-handed starter Tim Hudson and left-handed reliever Jonny Venters, who rely on ground balls for their outs.

It’s no coincidence that Hudson finally pitched a complete game shutout the first time he started with Simmons behind him, Tuesday against the Marlins in Miami. It’s also no coincidence that Venters retired the only two Marlins he faced in the seventh inning Wednesday after having given up at least one hit in each of his previous 10 appearances.

Yes, Venters got the outs on a strikeout and fly ball, not with grounders, but pitchers pitch better when they have confidence that they’ll be backed up with good defense.

And that’s all that Simmons is supposed to be doing, really. He committed only four errors in 235 chances at Mississippi before he was called up. But he’s batting .333 (6-for-18) in less than a week in the majors, including driving in three runs on Tuesday.

Thursday, left-hander Mike Minor tried to keep his place in the rotation by keeping up with Hudson and right-hander Randall Delgado, who was sharp Wednesday, retiring the first 12 Marlins he faced and topping it off by driving in the game-winning run.

Minor’s last turn was skipped when last Friday’s game against the Nationals was rained out. Having infielders boot ground balls has not been his problem. It’s been the walks and the National League-leading 13 home runs he’s given up in his previous starts.

Miner gave up another one in the five innings he pitched, but he kept the Braves in the game, and they went on to beat the Marlins, 8-2. A spectacular Simmons snare, twist and throw for a double play saved Venters and the lead in the bottom of the seventh.

NOTES, QUOTES

–INFOF Martin Prado, who’s been playing third base in the absence of Chipper Jones, drove in three runs in Thursday’s 8-2 victory over the Marlins. He had his 23rd multi-hit game of the season and has driven in 25 runs.

–1B Freddie Freeman’s left index finger isn’t broken, but he is expected to miss a day or two after being knocked out of Wednesday’s game in the top of the fourth inning when he was hit on his left hand by a thrown ball going into second base on a double play. Freeman had to wait until Thursday morning to have his hand X-rayed because there is no X-ray machine in the Marlins’ new ball park. He was replaced at first base in Thursday’s lineup by INFOF Eric Hinske.

–OF Matt Diaz started in left field against the Marlins on Thursday, facing LHP Mark Buehrle. That meant that the pitcher — LHP Mike Minor, in this case — was back to hitting ninth in the order. Manager Fredi Gonzalez’s righty-lefty match-up didn’t work out that well, though, as Diaz was 0-for-2 against Buerhle.

–RHP Randall Delgado’s game-winning RBI Wednesday night came on a hanging slider. He’s hitting .263 (5-for-19) this season, and is being needled for that by RHP Tim Hudson, who was the SEC Player of the Year in 1997 and was selected to the All-SEC team as a pitcher and an outfielder, batting .396 with 18 home runs and 95 RBI.

–RF Jason Heyward hadn’t had a multi-hit game since May 11 before Tuesday’s three-hit game. But consistency being the issue with him that it is, he followed that with an 0-for-4 Wednesday and a 2-for-4 on Thursday. Those two hits were home runs.

MEDICAL WATCH

–1B Freddie Freeman (sore left index finger) left the June 6 game, and he didn’t play June 7. X-rays were negative, and he is day-to-day.

–3B Chipper Jones (bruised left calf) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to May 24. He had his bruise — officially a hematoma — drained May 26. He resumed baseball activity June 5 but was still sore.

–RHP Peter Moylan (right shoulder surgery in October 2011) was long-tossing as of mid-May. He threw his first bullpen session May 23.

–RHP Arodys Vizcaino (Tommy John surgery in March 2012) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to March 26. He is expected to miss the entire season.

–LHP Robert Fish (left elbow tendinitis) went on the 15-day disabled list retroactive to March 26.

QUOTE TO NOTE

“It’s great to be young.” — RHP Tim Hudson, on rookie RHP Randall Delgado, who got the game-winning hit in Wednesday’s 3-2 victory over the Marlins and had a career-high seven strikeouts.

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Fredi Gonzalez has made it clear.

Hes not going to be the one to tell Dan Uggla hes getting a day off. At least not to his face.

Maybe Gonzalez could text him, send a personal message on Facebook or even talk to him via the electronic wizardry of Skype. Do people still send telegrams?

Perhaps someone else can tell him. Any volunteers?

Or maybe Ill have one of you do it, he joked to a handful of reporters one day.

Anything other than being in the same room as Uggla, whose competitiveness and pure dislike for sitting on the bench has conveyed the message that he expects to be in the lineup.

Every inning. Every game.

I dont need a day off, Uggla said. If Im putting together quality ABs and playing quality D and running the bases like I know how to run them, theres no point. We have days off designated for us, and I consider those my days off.

Uggla has not played all 162 games in any of his six full seasons in the majors, but hes also never played in fewer than 146. His name was in the lineup a career-high 161 games last year–playing every day even through his remarkably deep first-half slump–and hes averaged 156 for his career.

Atlanta has completed one-third of its season, and Uggla is the only Brave who has played in every inning of every game.

Dont get him wrong. Hes not trying to be the next Ironman or Iron Horse or even iron headed about the issue. Uggla isnt trying to break any team or league records. Simply, he thinks that if hes healthy enough to help the Braves win, he wants to be in the lineup.

They pay me a lot of money for this game, and I dont like sitting out, Uggla said. My body is fine. I take care of my body. Even if dont feel 100 percent, Ill compete to fill as close to 100 percent as I can for that game.

Thats perfectly fine with Gonzalez.

Uggla was the last man standing for several games as the Braves endured injuries to the bulk of their top run producers. Freddie Freeman, Chipper Jones and Brian McCann have all missed games due to a variety of injuries, and Uggla was a steadying presence while all three were out at the same time.

Hes one of those–and we have a couple of those guys–theyre old breed type guys, and for a long time, this organization had them, Gonzalez said. Andruw Jones. Chipper Jones. Rafael Furcal. They never came out of the lineup. Danny is one of those guys. And Freeman is one of those guys. Last year, (Uggla) had (an injury) and you try to give him a day off, and hes like, No, I want to play, instead of the other way around, where you try to beg guys into the lineup.

Chipper Jones played in at least 153 games every year from 1996-2003 and Furcal played in 143 or more in his final four seasons as a Brave. Andruw Jones, former All-Star centerfielder for the Braves, averaged 157 games in his 11 full seasons with the club–he played in all 162 in 1999 and missed only one in each 2000 and 01.

Andruw Jones is just one of five Braves to play every game since the team moved to Atlanta in 1966, joining Felix Millan (1969), Dale Murphy (who did it from 1982-85) and Jeff Francoeur (2006 and 07).

This season, Michael Bourn is the only other Brave to play in all 54 games, but he was given the day off on May 16 and appeared later in that game as a pinch hitter.

Gonzalez is determined to rest his top players, even if theyre on a hot streak. He showed that with Bourn, who sat out against tough Miami lefty Mark Buehrle even though Bourn was on a 12-for-27 tear and had hit in 17 of 18 games.

Uggla, though, wants to be in there, no matter what. Like last year, when he struggled through a calf strain up until the point where he felt like he could make it worse by playing on it.

So he took a whole day off on July 21. The only one of the entire season.

The next day, Uggla hit a pinch-hit home run, and on July 23, Uggla was back in the lineup.

My intent, if Im healthy and capable of going out there and competing, then thats what Im going to do, Uggla said. If capable of doing that for the 162-game season, then thats what Im going to do. Im not trying to break Cal Ripkens record. That record will never be broken. Im not trying to do anything like that. I just take a lot of pride in being out there every day.

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The Braves were leading the National League with 87 runs scored at the start of the day Sunday. After scoring only 10 runs in their first four games — all losses — the Braves have scored 81 runs through Sunday’s 6-4 loss to the Diamondbacks.

How’d this happen?

Some of it is third baseman Chipper Jones being back; his switch-hitting ability gives manager Fredi Gonzalez more flexibility, and the threat of his smart at-bats protects whoever hits in front of him.

Some of it is infielder-outfielder Martin Prado being healthy and having a better handle on hitting in the second spot.

A chunk of it is right fielder Jason Heyward and first baseman Freddie Freeman having good, long at-bats and chopping the ball to both left and right fields.

And because hitting is contagious — a cliche because it’s true — center fielder Michael Bourn and catcher Brian McCann finally got it going. It’s particularly helpful to have Bourn get on base, because he leads off. And McCann is in the clean-up spot for a reason.

(Because Jones got the day off Sunday, Gonzalez started McCann on a day game after a night game, a situation in which he normally gets the day off. But Gonzalez doesn’t want both of them out of the lineup at the same time.)

Opposing teams have game-planned for the Braves by stacking their rotations to throw left-handed starters at their largely left-handed-hitting lineup; the Braves have faced left-handed starters in eight of their first 15 games. Funny thing, though, the Braves got better at hitting them because they had to.

That’s where the team’s new secret weapon comes in: assistant batting coach Scott Fletcher. Whereas the Braves used to have the typical scouting reports on opponents, Fletcher has developed a more specific, more intense video presentation. And it isn’t only for the beginning of a series; it can provide in-game adjustments.

The players have taken to Fletcher and to hitting coach Greg Walker because they listen first, and have encouraged a group approach to hitting instruction. So the guys are talking about hitting all the time among themselves.

No one expects the Braves to stay this hot through the entire season, but the fact that everything’s clicking now should keep them from being consumed by self-doubt if they hit the kind of slump that ended their 2011 season.

NOTES, QUOTES

-SS Jack Wilson got his second consecutive start. His numbers were good against Diamondbacks LHP Joe Saunders, Saturday’s starter, and while he doesn’t have a lot of hits, he nevertheless manages to drive in runs one way or the other. Wilson was 1-for-4.

-SS Tyler Pastornicky got a second consecutive start off. Not simply because backup SS Jack Wilson is delivering RBI even without getting big hits, but because manager Fredi Gonzalez wants Pastornicky to watch how Wilson positions himself to deliver throws to first base.

-RF Jason Heyward got the start off Sunday; INFOF Eric Hinske started in right field. Heyward had a 10-game hitting streak snapped Saturday, otherwise manager Fredi Gonzalez would have had him in there. But once he went 0-for-4, Gonzalez wanted to give him a breather. Heyward pinch hit in the ninth and flied out to left.

-3B Chipper Jones got Sunday’s start off. That was manager Fredi Gonzalez’s plan to keep Jones on the field and off the disabled list. He would rather sit Jones two or three days in a row now than have him play constantly and then be out for three weeks later. Jones is also scheduled to have off Monday in Los Angeles, returning to celebrate his 40th birthday on Tuesday. Jones pinch-hit in the seventh and grounded into a double play. He received a standing ovation when he was saluted by the Diamondbacks between the third and fourth innings.

-LHP Mike Minor has allowed only one earned run in 15.1 innings, and RHP Brandon Beachy hasn’t allowed any runs at all in 14.1 innings. The key to the improvement of both second-year pitchers is cutting down on the walks. After three starts for each of them, Minor has issued five walks and Beachy, six.

QUOTE TO NOTE

“At the end of the year, I think we’re going to be known for our pitching. That’s what has been the constant here in the Atlanta Braves organization. I think at the end of the year that’s what we’re going to be known for.” — Manager Fredi Gonzalez, to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

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Atlanta Braves pitcher Tommy Hanson suffered a concussion after his Infiniti M45 blew out a tire and was wrecked last Monday, but may be ready to get back to full workouts Tuesday, according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

Hanson ran a little bit and spent about five minutes playing catch Sunday, the first time the Braves pitcher suited up and got on the field since suffering the Grade 1 concussion, the paper reports.

Hanson will likely take the concussion tests on Monday or Tuesday, manager Fredi Gonzalez said, according to the paper, marking Hanson’s second time taking it since the accident. If everything checks out, he could be involved in full workouts on Tuesday, the Journal-Constitution notes.

“It’s like holding a thoroughbred back, he’s ready to get going,” Gonzalez said, the paper reports. “Which is a good sign.”

The 25-year-old went 11-7 with a 3.60 ERA last year.

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The Braves will have new, cream-colored alternate home uniforms this season, which they’ll be wearing on Saturdays and Sundays. The former Sunday red jerseys, loved by many and reviled by others, will be the Friday home uniform. There is no change in the Monday through Thursday whites or in the choice of gray or navy jerseys on the road.

But while the uniforms have an order, Fredi Gonzalez doesn’t.

Gonzalez, who rattled off a batting order within the first few minutes of being named the Braves’ manager last offseason, will wait to see who is hitting the way he’s expected to hit before putting pencil to paper.

Gonzalez also must wait to see who makes the team. Admittedly, there are not a lot of openings.

Prospect Tyler Pastornicky is projected to be the Opening Day shortstop, and if he seizes the opportunity, his speed will be a factor in where he hits. Gonzalez already has told Pastornicky he won’t put him in the middle of the order, no matter what happens, so he should just go out and have fun in spring training.

“Let the other guys carry the weight,” Gonzalez told him.

One possible spot for Pastornicky, no matter how well he hits, is ninth. Gonzalez is excited about having speedy center fielder Michael Bourn for an entire season, and he’ll he in the leadoff position. Gonzalez experimented last season with another speedster, outfielder Jose Constanza, in the ninth spot, to have a one-two speed punch. He did that for a few games, and it didn’t excite him that much. But he did say at the time that he might not have given that wrinkle a long enough look.

The other starters whose offense the Braves hope will rebound are catcher Brian McCann, second baseman Dan Uggla and right fielder Jason Heyward.

McCann and Uggla modeled the new uniforms for their introduction, along with third baseman Chipper Jones, who emerged from behind a curtain — to his amusement — to smoke and a flurry of red confetti.

If everything goes according to plan, Jones should be in his customary three hole with McCann and Uggla batting fourth and fifth, respectively. First baseman Freddie Freeman, newly bulked up, worked his way up the order a season ago; he’ll probably hit sixth, with Heyward seventh.

All of this is in flux, of course, pending actual results. Especially the results of Heyward’s reworked swing.

And speaking of reworking …

Right-hander Tim Hudson, who was cleared to throw in mid-February after late November back disk surgery, won’t be rushed to make Opening Day. With the Braves’ pitching depth, there are plenty of candidates for the rotation in April.

Jair Jurrjens is pain-free now that he’s wearing orthotics in his right shoe and pitching with a custom brace on his right knee. Tommy Hanson, after strengthening his back and shoulder, has altered his delivery to make it smoother and quicker, hoping to help his back and hold runners on base.

Brandon Beachy will be the fourth starter, but the fifth spot is up for grabs. Left-hander Mike Minor, Beachy’s roommate, was inconsistent in spots starts last season. But when injuries to other starters gave him regular starts in September, he blossomed.

Whether he can beat out rookie right-handers Randall Delgado and Julio Teheran will be the buzz of camp. If they don’t make the rotation, though, they won’t get their seasoning in the bullpen; they’ll start at Triple-A Gwinnett. By the end of last season, Delgado was somewhat ahead of Teheran because he was more consistent and had better command of a third pitch.

Besides, the Braves’ bullpen is loaded, too. The late inning stalwarts — left-handers Eric O’Flaherty and Jonny Venters and closer Craig Kimbrel, the National League Rookie of the Year — are back, Cristhian Martinez is there for middle relief, and Kris Medlen, back from Tommy John surgery, can do everything from spot-starting to closing.

NOTES, QUOTES

-3B Chipper Jones is searching for the right slot for his hands on his right-handed swing. Usually, he can roll out of bed and hit right-handed, but he got into some bad habits at the end of last season when he couldn’t push off on his surgically repaired right knee.

-RHP Jair Jurrjens is messing around with a cutter. If he can control it, it will make his four-seamer better because it will give hitters a different spin to try to decipher.

-RHP Peter Moylan is tossing from a distance of 60 feet as he continues his rehab from offseason shoulder surgery. Moylan, who was non-tendered, has been signed to a minor league contract with an invitation to spring training. He has been a key setup guy out of the bullpen.

-RHP Tommy Hanson’s new, smoother delivery — after working with pitching coach Roger McDowell, he has lost the pause as he releases the ball — should make it harder for baserunners to steal on him and lessen the stress on his right shoulder.

-Manager Fredi Gonzalez has a solution to the overuse last year of LHP Eric O’Flaherty (seventh inning), LHP Jonny Venters (eighth inning) and RHP Craig Kimbrel (closer): “Score more runs!” Although all three relievers say they weren’t tired at the end of the season and don’t think they were used too much, Gonzalez thinks he might have called on them too often early in the season when the Braves had leads of three or more runs, when he was trying to establish them in their respective roles.

QUOTE TO NOTE

“We’re going to give him every opportunity. But it’s up to him.” — Manager Fredi Gonzalez, on prospect Tyler Pastornicky being the Braves’ Opening Day shortstop.

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With one game to play, the Atlanta Braves suddenly find themselves tied with the St. Louis Cardinals for the National League wild card. Losing four games in a row at this stage of the season can do that to a club.

The Braves will likely take on the Philadelphia Phillies Wednesday in the season’s final game without the services of shortstop Alex Gonzalez. He “had to leave Tuesday night’s game with a strained right calf, the same injury which had kept him out of the final four games of the Braves last road trip,” according to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution. Braves manager Fredi Gonzalez suggested that it was “more serious than just re-aggravating his sore calf,” the Journal-Constitution reports.

Gonzalez is hitting .241 with 15 homers. The team called up Tyler Pastornicky to back up Jack Wilson for Wednesday’s game, the paper reports.

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