MILWAUKEE - As a tidal wave of blue-shirted Cubs fans swept down Miller Park's brick ramps yesterday afternoon, it was clear the Brewers had lost homefield advantage.

But on a sunlit afternoon, with 45,288 fans of the two teams warring with each other as avidly as the players on the field, Milwaukee lost more than that.

The Brewers' 7-3 loss to Chicago, coupled with an earlier Mets' victory, cost them the lead in the wild-card race. Milwaukee, which hasn't been to the postseason since 1982, is now tied with New York entering the season's final day.

And, even if the Brewers should capture the wild-card today and face the Phillies in a National League Division Series, they've likely also lost starter Ben Sheets.

The Brewers all-star righthander, who assured manager Dale Sveum he was well enough to go despite leaving his last start 10 days ago with elbow and forearm problems, lasted only an ineffective 21/3 innings. Sheets gave up four runs and five hits.

"That's all my arm's got," a dejected Sheets said afterward. "I felt pretty good at first, not great. But that didn't last long."

If the Brewers beat Chicago today and the Mets win, those two erratic clubs will meet in a one-game playoff tomorrow at Shea Stadium. But if they lose and New York wins, the team that led the wild-card race by 5 1/2 games just a few weeks ago will be dead.

"I think if you asked every team this spring if they'd take being tied for the wild-card after 161 games, all 30 would have said yes," said Sveum, who is 6-5 since replacing Ned Yost. "A game like this [today's] is the kind of thing you dream about when you're 10 and playing in the backyard."

For today's game against the Cubs, who will start reliever Angel Guzman, the Brewers a least will have the biggest kid on the block on their side.

Sveum, despite being criticized for relying on an obviously injured Sheets yesterday, will go with CC Sabathia. It will be the big lefthander's second straight start on three days' rest.

"He's been the best pitcher in baseball his last 15-17 starts," said Sveum, "so we feel pretty good with him out there."

Brewers centerfielder Mike Cameron said he hoped that unlike yesterday the home team's fans could get the upper hand today.

"Hopefully we can do something early," he said, "and get the crowd going in our favor."

It was just the opposite yesterday.

Daryle Ward's two-run homer off Sheets in the first, Mike Fonetnot's two-run single an inning later and Cubs starter Ted Lilly's six no-hit innings had the Chicago fans yelping loudly and arrogantly right from the outset.

After Ryan Braun ended Lilly's no-hit bid with a leadoff double in the seventh, the Brewers and their supporters finally awoke. Milwaukee got a run in the seventh and two more in the eighth, before the Cubs clinched their league-leading 97th victory with three more in the ninth.

Asked what he'd like to see happen in today's pivotal game, Sveum, a Phillie in 1992, referenced the divided loyalties in the stadium.

"I sure wish there would be 43 or 44 thousand Brewers fans in the stadium," he said, "but obviously that wish can't come true."