BY JOE JOHNSON

jjohnson@heraldsun.com; 419-6667

DURHAM -- Designated hitter Henry Mateo scored the first two runs for the Durham Bulls, who beat Scranton/Wilkes-Barre 4-1 on Tuesday night in the opening game of the Governors' Cup championship series at Durham Bulls Athletic Park.

Durham is matched up against the Yankees for the International League title for the second consecutive year.

Jeremy Hellickson got his first victory of the postseason with the win for Durham. He pitched 6 2⁄3 innings, striking out six and walking one. Hellickson has 18 strikeouts in his two postseason outings.

“He’s been outstanding,” Bulls manager Charlie Montoya said. “There was no room for error. He did his job. He stays even-keeled.”

Romulo Sanchez took the loss for the Yankees but he had strong outing, striking out eight but giving up three earned runs. In all, the Yankees pitchers struck out 12 Durham batters.

Durham opened the scoring in the first inning as Mateo drew a one-out walk and advanced to third on a single by Joe Dillon, who finished 2-for-3. Second baseman Sean Rodriguez singled in Mateo with two out, giving the Bulls a 1-0 lead that stood until the bottom of the sixth.

“It’s good when you can get two-out hits,” Mateo said. “It got us the win. We were looking to win the first one and we did. The key to the series is the first one and we got it now so we’ll see.”

The Bulls extended their lead after getting to Sanchez. Mateo, who bunted to the third base side and beat out an errant throw by Kevin Russo, ended up on third after right fielder Colin Curtis misplayed the ball out by the Bulls’ bullpen.

Dillon then knocked Mateo in with a single for a 2-0 lead and that was it for Sanchez. Right-fielder Matt Joyce then doubled off reliever Zach Kroenke, and Justin Ruggiano drew a one-out walk to load the bases. After shortstop Elliott Johnson struck out, catcher Michel Hernandez singled to knock in two more runs.

“I knew if I could keep it 1-0 then we’d put some runs on the board,” Hellickson said. “You always want to go out and get the first win. I didn’t feel any pressure to get the win.”

The only blemish to Hellickson’s night came in the top of the seventh when he gave up a solo home run to John Rodriguez to make it 4-1. It was Rodriguez’s first home run of the postseason after hitting 14 during the regular season.

Bulls’ closer Winston Abreu got off to a slow start in the ninth with a pair of one-out walks to put runners on first and second before striking out Eduardo Nunez and Rodriguez to end the game.

Last season when the teams met in the final series, Scranton/Wilkes-Barre took the title in four games. The Yankees took the first two games in that series before winning and that’s the way the

Bulls want to turn it back around on Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.

It is only the fifth time in International League history the same teams have played for the title in consecutive years, the last coming in the 1996 and 1997 seasons when Columbus and Rochester matched up.

Game 2 of the series will be tonight at 7:05 p.m. with left-hander Mitch Talbot likely taking the mound for the Bulls and Ian Kennedy likely starting for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre.