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(Sports Network) - The NL Central-leading Chicago Cubs will shoot for their sixth straight road win when they kick off a six-game trek tonight with the first of three straight games against the Atlanta Braves at Turner Field.

The Cubs lead the division by 3 1/2 games over the surging Milwaukee Brewers, who have won six in a row to keep the Central race tight. Chicago swept the Brewers in four games at Miller Park at the end of July and recently completed a nine-game homestand with a 6-3 record.

In Sunday night's 6-2 victory over the division-rival St. Louis Cardinals at Wrigley Field, starter Ryan Dempster allowed two runs on six hits and three walks with six strikeouts in 6 2/3 innings of work to earn the win. Ronny Cedeno and Mark DeRosa each knocked in a pair of runs, while Aramis Ramirez scored twice for Chicago.

Chicago will also visit the Florida Marlins for three games at Dolphin Stadium and own a 26-30 record as the guest this season.

Rich Harden will handle pitching duties for the Cubs this evening, and he is 1-1 with a 2.10 earned run average in five starts with his new team.

Harden did not record a decision after his last outing on August 5, an 11-7 victory over the Houston Astros. He was reached for five runs -- four earned -- and eight hits in 5 2/3 innings of work.

The righty, who has led the Cubs to a 3-2 record in his five trips to the hill, will face Atlanta for the second this season and his career. Harden took on the Braves at Turner Field on May 17 as a member of the Oakland Athletics. He was on point that day in a 5-4 win, allowing just a run and four hits with eight strikeouts in seven frames.

Atlanta will open a seven-game homestand on Tuesday versus the Cubs and Giants, and sport a decent 33-25 record at Turner Field this season. The Braves were aiming for a four-game sweep of the Arizona Diamondbacks, but suffered a 6-1 loss in Sunday's series finale at Chase Field.

Omar Infante finished with a team-high two hits and knocked in the lone run for the Braves, who finished their road trip at 4-3. Starting pitcher Mike Hampton suffered the loss in his fourth start of the season, permitting six runs on five hits and two walks in four innings of work.

Taking the mound for the Braves on Tuesday will be rookie Charlie Morton, who is 3-5 with a 5.70 earned run average in 10 starts this season.

Morton ended a personal three-start losing streak his last time out on August 7 at Arizona's Chase Field. He tossed seven shutout innings of five-hit ball to lead the Braves to a 6-4 victory.

The right-hander, who is 0-4 with an 8.39 ERA in five home starts this season, will face Chicago for the first time.

Chicago swept a three-game series from the Braves in early June this season at Wrigley Field, and has won six of the last eight meetings in this series. The Cubs and Braves split six games in Dixie last season.