Although it hasn't won a title since 1908, Chicago (42-24) has had everything going right this season. The Cubs have the best record in the majors, and have been nearly unbeatable at home (28-8).

To keep it going, though, they'll have to win without their star leadoff hitter.

Soriano could miss up to six weeks with a broken left hand he sustained after being hit by a pitch in the second inning of Wednesday's 7-2 win over the Braves (32-34). Soriano, who has a team-high 15 home runs and leads all NL outfielders in All-Star voting, will be in a splint for three weeks, Cubs spokesman Peter Chase said.

"A bad break for us. Just an unfortunate thing," Chicago manager Lou Piniella said. "It's a shame, it really is. Things happen in baseball."

Soriano was on the DL earlier this season with a calf injury, and the Cubs were 9-5 during his absence. Piniella plans on using Reed Johnson in left and could call up some players from Triple-A.

"What can we do?" third baseman Aramis Ramirez asked. "We've got to move on. ... It's a big loss. He leads the team in homers, 40 RBIs. You can't replace that."

The Cubs will turn to their ace in Thursday's finale, as Piniella gives the ball to Carlos Zambrano (8-2, 3.01 ERA), who has been moved up a day to stay on his normal four days' rest.

On Saturday, Zambrano put Chicago ahead of the Los Angeles Dodgers 3-2 with an RBI single in the top of the seventh, but he allowed five runs in the bottom of the inning as the Cubs went on to lose 7-3. Zambrano allowed a season-high seven runs and 13 hits - matching a career high - in 6 2-3 innings, and lost for the first time in 11 starts.

The right-hander is 4-0 with a 2.38 ERA in eight home starts. The Cubs have won 10 straight at Wrigley - their longest home winning streak since a 13-game run May 19-June 17, 2001 - and have won 17 of 19 on the North Side.

The Braves, meanwhile, have lost five straight overall, and are a major league-worst 7-23 on the road.

Atlanta ace Tim Hudson (7-4, 2.86) takes the mound Thursday.

Hudson gave up one run and five hits in 7 2-3 innings of Friday's 4-3, 10-inning loss to Philadelphia. The right-hander was in line for the victory when he was removed, but Kelly Johnson's two out, ninth-inning error allowed the Phillies to tie the game.

In his only start against the Cubs last season on June 9, Hudson left the game in the third inning after getting hit in the leg with a ground ball. He was tagged for five runs and five hits in two innings of Atlanta's 9-5 victory, and is 2-0 with a 4.70 ERA in four career starts against Chicago.

Chipper Jones, who didn't start the last two games because of a small tear in his right quadriceps, went 1-for-3 Wednesday. Jones is 5-for-19 (.263) with a homer lifetime against Zambrano, who is 0-2 with a 5.82 ERA in his last seven starts against the Braves. He has not defeated them since July 15, 2002 as a rookie.