Sheets left after two innings because of a tender elbow. The Brewers gave interim manager Dale Sveum his first victory and stayed a half-game behind New York in the National League wild-card race.
The Cubs had won five in a row. Their magic number for clinching the NL Central remained at four.
Sheets was replaced by Mark DiFelice (1-0), who pitched two innings for his first major league win.
Fielder lined a bases-loaded double into the right-field corner in the first off Jason Marquis (10-9). Mike Cameron’s leadoff single and walks to Ray Durham and Ryan Braun had filled the bases for the Brewers.
METS 9, NATIONALS 7
At Washington, Carlos Beltran homered from both sides of the plate, and Jose Reyes and Carlos Delgado also went deep as New York built a big lead then barely held on to beat Washington.
Brandon Knight (1-0), a 32-year-old journeyman back from the Olympics, earned his first major league victory with five solid innings.
The Mets had lost four of their previous five games to fall out of first place in the National League East. They remained a half-game behind the division-leading Philadelphia Phillies, who beat Atlanta.
New York began the day with a half-game lead over Milwaukee for the wild card.
Reyes led off the game by homering off Shairon Martis (0-3), and Delgado also hit a solo shot in the first. Beltran hit a two-run drive in the third, and a solo homer in the eighth.
PHILLIES 6, BRAVES 1
At Atlanta, Ryan Howard drove in the first run in Philadelphia’s four-run first inning, and rookie J.A. Happ pitched six scoreless innings to help the Phillies down Atlanta to earn their season-high sixth straight win.
Howard, bidding to win his second NL MVP award in three years, has 29 RBIs in his last 21 games and 137 this season to lead the majors.
Happ (1-0) allowed three hits, walked one and struck out two in his fourth career start and first since getting no decision July 9 in Philadelphia’s 4-2 win over St. Louis.
Also on Wednesday it was:
• Diamondbacks 7, Giants 6
• Pirates 15, Dodgers 8
• Marlins 14, Astros 2
• Reds 3, Cardinals 0
• Rockies 1, Padres 0
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