"Hack Wilson. Andre Dawson. .??.??. Alfonso Soriano.

They are the only players in Cubs history to hit at least 20 home runs in each of their first five seasons with the team.

Two are in the Hall of Fame. The other — well, he's still waiting to find out if there will be a sixth season as a Cub, despite 54 million reasons suggesting few palatable alternatives.

Welcome to your Cubs 2011 season, which, coincidentally, has only picked up on the field as it has begun to count down into the final 20 days before a possible prospect watch for 2012.

Three more home runs Wednesday — including Soriano's 20th —gave the Cubs their eighth victory in 10 games, 4-2 over the Washington Nationals, and a chance for a third consecutive series win Thursday.

But, of course, not even a season-high eight games in a row with a home run, a decent start by

Rodrigo Lopez, a four-hit game by fan-favorite Reed Johnson — heck, not even a Ron Santo statue dedication — can hide the fifth-place flaws and imminent hard decisions facing ownership and the front

office in the next few months.

Not the least of which involves whether to cut ties with Soriano at all costs — specifically $54 million left on the final three years of his contract — to create space to upgrade, and/or "youth-anize,'' the roster.

"He's an interesting guy,'' manager Mike Quade said of Soriano — who also joined Albert Pujols (11) and David Ortiz (10) with active streaks of at least 10 consecutive years of 20 homers or more. "Because he goes through the streaks where he struggles and you just don't know when he's going to come out and do some damage.''

Soriano, who has responded to a 28-game homerless drought with six in his last 16, rates his expectations of returning at "50-50.''

Even if the Cubs eat enough money to make that move, then what? "