Colon stars for Cleveland

The Indians left the Mariners gasping

Bartolo Colon tossed eight brilliant innings for the Cleveland Indians in a stunning 5-0 triumph over the Seattle Mariners on Tuesday.

The 26-year-old Dominican Republic pitcher's dominant performance gave Cleveland a 1-0 lead in their best-of-five game American League divisional playoff series.

Just 14-12 with a 4.09 ERA this season and coming off an outing in which he surrendered six runs in 1 1/3 innings, the enigmatic Colon surrendered just six hits and two walks.

Behind a blazing fastball that eclipsed all the Mariners with the exception of Japanese rookie sensation Ichiro Suzuki, Colon struck out 10 and allowed just one batter to reach third base.

The win puts the Mariners, who tied the Major League record with 116 victories during the regular season, in a precarious situation.

Curt Schilling helped Arizona to a vital victory

In Phoenix, Curt Schilling struck out nine in a dominant three-hitter and Steve Finley's RBI single accounted for the only run as Arizona edged St Louis 1-0 in their Game One.

Schilling (1-0) faced just five batters over the minimum and needed only 101 pitches to complete his gem.

He was at his best in the ninth inning, retiring the heart of the Cardinals' lineup to complete his second career postseason shutout.

With the game scoreless in the fifth, Damian Miller was hit by a pitch from Cardinals starter Matt Morris (1-0).

Schilling sacrificed and one out later Finley, who endured a sub-par regular season, singled up the middle for the game's only run.

In the day's othjer big game, Chipper Jones blasted a three-run homer in the top of the eighth inning to lead the Atlanta Braves to a 7-4 victory over the Houston Astros.

Jones, who had not had a hit off Astros reliever Billy Wagner in eight at bats, slugged his home run over the left-field wall after a crucial error by Houston shortstop Julio Lugo.

It was Houston's 10th loss in its last 11 playoff games and the seventh straight in which the Astros could not hold on to a late lead.