BRADENTON, Fla. -- The Toronto Blue Jays spring training game at the Pittsburgh Pirates was rained out Thursday. The game will not be made up. STARTING TIME The Blue Jays returned to their camp in Dunedin without announcing revised pitching plans. Left-hander Mark Buerhle was scheduled to start Thursday on six days rest and it is not likely manager John Gibbons will want him to wait past Friday for his next outing. Pirates right-hander Gerrit Cole, slated to start against Toronto, will pitch against Minnesota in a "B" game Friday morning. Cole allowed two runs in two innings against the Blue Jays in his initial outing on Feb. 28. TRAINERS ROOM Pirates left-hander Jeff Locke does not expect to miss much time due to tightness in his right oblique. Locke felt what he said felt like "a continuous little pull" during his last bullpen session and was scratched from his scheduled start Wednesday. "Its very minor. Well take a few days and re-evaluate," Locke said. "Its funny. I was just out there throwing normally. It could be I was coming out of my turn quick. It could be I didnt stretch enough." Locke was an All-Star last year but didnt pitch due to a back injury. He struggled in the second half -- at one point he was sent to Double-A -- and finished 10-7 with a 3.52 ERA. He is battling Edinson Volquez for the No. 5 spot in the rotation. "From what Ive heard from the training staff, its something that if we dont take care of it now, it could be six to eight weeks later," Locke said. "Thats something I cant afford." FINDING RHYTHM Pedro Alvarez has started five of Pittsburghs first eight games and is tied with Gregory Polanco for the team lead with 15-bats. "Theres a reason for it," manager Clint Hurdle said. "Were trying to bundle at-bats differently for all these guys and give them an opportunity to find some rhythm. The only guys who havent played back-to-back games are (Andrew) McCutchen and (Russell) Martin, and thats by design too." In spring traininng last year, Alvarez hit .241 with two homers in 54 at-bats. In 2012, he hit .170 with two homers in 53 at-bats. "Pedros spring trainings have been challenging," Hurdle said. "Obviously, the season can turn out different, but nobody likes to have to battle for an extended period. If we can give him some help along the way, like by giving him (lots) of at-bats in a short period of time, thats what well do." Hurricanes Jerseys 2020 . The Blue Jays lost to the New York Yankees 3-1 Tuesday night, their seventh defeat in 10 games. Rasmus was put on the 15-day DL on May 15 because of a sore right hamstring. Hes hitting .222 with nine home runs and 19 RBIs. Carolina Hurricanes Store . Johansen scored twice and Derek MacKenzie, Brandon Dubinsky and Cam Atkinson also had goals to lead the Blue Jackets to a 5-2 victory over the Washington Capitals on Thursday night, ending a three-game losing skid. https://www.cheaphurricanes.com/. -- Howie Kendrick had a two-run single in his first game batting leadoff this season, Chris Iannetta hit a pair of RBI singles and the Los Angeles Angels beat Cleveland 6-4 Tuesday night, sending the Indians to their fifth straight defeat. Carolina Hurricanes Pro Shop . -- The Minnesota Vikings have signed Jerome Simpson, the former Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver recently convicted on a felony drug charge. Carolina Hurricanes Gear .com) - The Memphis Grizzlies signed guard Seth Curry on Tuesday.MONTREAL -- Theyve composed chants just for Canadian tennis player Eugenie Bouchard, roared for her until they went hoarse, and toasted her wins by fudging their way through "O Canada." Meet the "Genie Army" -- a dozen boisterous Aussies who, despite boasting zero connection to Canada, have become Bouchards unofficial cheerleaders at the Australian Open. Members of the weeks-old squad have jumped, danced and serenaded their way into an unmistakable grandstand presence during the Montreal teens impressive run at the event, where she has earned a semifinal spot Thursday. The devotees, mostly men in their 20s, have also fashioned red-and-white T-shirts that spell out Bouchards name, flapped banners for her during matches, and lobbed plush animals -- each of them native to Australia -- to her on the court following each of her victories. Though they have had little face-to-face interaction with Bouchard, they have certainly commanded her attention in Melbourne. "The crowd here has been amazing, especially the Genie Army," Bouchard, 19, said Tuesday during an on-court interview after beating Ana Ivanovic. She then pointed up to her noisy, personal cheering section. "Ive had so much fun. Thank you guys." The inspiration behind a brigade dedicated to Bouchard came after a bunch of Australian buddies watched her upset Ivanovic last year at Wimbledon, said one of the Army members. In December, as the Australian Open approached, Jacob Wright said the crew decided to become her own booster club, so they started making shirts and penning Bouchard chants. The Genie Army was born. "Shes just a great tennis player," Wright, 20, told The Canadian Press in a Skype interview from Melbourne. "Obviously, shes a good-looking girl as well, and were young guys, but she is a really good tennis player. Its really, really good fun to watch." Their movement has had nothing to do with patriotism, either. When asked whether any of them had a connection to Canada, he replied: "None of us." Wright said they caught Bouchards attention during her first-round match, which was held on a more-intimate court that brings fans closer to the players. Six of them showed up for the event and were lucky enough to have their photos taken with Bouchard, get her autograph, and exchange a few words with their favourite player after the victory. The Genie Army nation was thrilled, Wright added, when Bouchard later told an interviewer she hoped they would show up for her next match. They havent missed one since -- and their ranks have doubled to about 112.dddddddddddd Wright said it has been a bit of a give-and-take relationship, with Bouchard thanking her believers in interviews and by making gestures, such as posting a couple of photos of them on her Twitter feed. The connection likely hit its only bumpy patch on Tuesday when she was asked in a post-match interview about who she would like to date, if she could choose anyone in the world. An embarrassed Bouchard, who appeared to be taken off guard by the question, blurted out the name of Canadian pop star Justin Bieber. In TV footage, members of the Genie Army were shown waving off her choice. They remain committed, however, to backing Bouchard for the long haul, even if they initially didnt expect it to last. Wright admitted they never predicted Bouchard, the tournaments 30th seed, would advance to the semifinal, but theyve enjoyed the longer-than-expected ride. Bouchard, in fact, became the first Canadian to reach a Grand Slam semifinal in 30 years. "My voice doesnt usually sound like this, Im pretty husky from a week of just full-on yelling as loud as I can," said Wright, who was wearing a white T-shirt with a red Maple Leaf and a Bouchard autograph. "But yeah, weve just been yelling, chanting -- and overall the response from the crowds been really good." He said group members have also been surprised by the notoriety theyve amassed throughout the tournament, growing so big that they have been interviewed by media outlets and have frequently been asked to pose for photos with other fans. "Well be standing there for 20 minutes or something (after matches)," said Wright, whose group has an online presence on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter, where .GenieArmy was trending after Tuesdays win. "Its getting really full of fun." But their primary mission has not changed since Day 1: support Bouchard. During her matches, the crew can be heard belting out custom chants from the bleachers, including a fight song usually reserved for when she first steps onto the hardcourt. "We are the Army, the Genie Army, and we are mental, and we are mad," a clapping Wright chanted as he began a demonstration of the mantra. The gang has even sung the Canadian national anthem, though Wright admits only a couple of them know the words. The first time they attempted "O Canada," he said they received some welcome help from Canadian fans in the crowd. "We started it off, but then we had a lot of Canadians around us, so they sort of finished it off for us," Wright said. "It wasnt a very good rendition." ' ' '