MINNEAPOLIS -- The Chicago White Sox didn't get much against Phil Hughes on Wednesday night, but the little they did was more than enough.

Jerry Sands hit a two-run homer and Carlos Rodon pitched six shutout innings to lead the Sox to a 3-0 win over the Minnesota Twins on Wednesday night at Target Field.

Rodon allowed three hits and walked five while striking out six in winning his first game of the season. The left-hander has allowed two earned runs and 10 hits with 12 strikeouts in 13 innings in his two starts in 2016.

"He wasn't as sharp as he's been but when he needed to be, he bowed up and got through," White Sox manager Robin Ventura said. "For a young guy, that's something you can put in your pocket and move on."

Minnesota dropped to 0-8 on the season and is the only team in the American League without a win. No other AL team has fewer than three wins.

The Twins were shut out for the second time and have scored a total of 13 runs in those games, seven fewer than any other team in the majors.

"When you have an extended period like eight games, especially to start the season and we haven't been able to produce, I think everyone feels it to some degree," Twins manager Paul Molitor said. "Some guys are able to stay a little bit more calm than others, but you see the anxiousness."

White Sox closer David Robertson worked a perfect ninth inning for his fourth save.

Sands' blast over the wall in center field came with one out in the seventh to give the White Sox a three-run lead. It was the first home run for Sands in his fourth at-bat of the season.

"You just try and go into every at-bat like it's a normal one," said Sands, who was in the starting lineup for the first time this season. "You just try and stay ready. Obviously, not having many and then you get thrown in there for four [at bats], you kinda relax and see some pitches. The first couple didn't turn out how I want into but I ran into one and helped this team win."

The homer ended the night for Twins starter Phil Hughes, who ran into trouble later in his outing. The right-hander (0-2) was still solid, allowing three runs and seven hits in 6 1/3 innings while striking out seven.

"I felt like I was throwing some good fastballs early in the game and had them backed off a little bit," Hughes said. "I got through the first three innings pretty clean and felt like I wanted to mix it up a little more. With Sands, I was trying to go front-door cutter which I had struck him out on the previous two times and he ran into it.

"Especially when the guys are struggling to score and we're already down 1-0, to give up two runs right there is a tough spot."

After failing to get a run in the fifth inning after putting runners on second and third with nobody out, Chicago scratched a run across in the top of the sixth, getting back-to-back singles by Adam Eaton and Jimmy Rollins to lead off the inning. Eaton advanced to third on the soft hit up the middle by Rollins.

Jose Abreu followed with a sharp grounder to short and was erased on a 6-4-3 double play, but was enough to score Eaton from third for a 1-0 lead.

"That's one where you just start grasping because you don't know what you're gonna get," Ventura said. "Jose got the double play and you actually feel good about it that you got the [run] in,"

The White Sox got a single by Melky Cabrera and a double to the gap in left center by Brett Lawrie to lead off the fifth. But Hughes struck out Sands and Alex Avila before getting Austin Jackson to ground out meekly to third base to stymie the threat.

Minnesota threatened in the bottom half of the inning via a walk by Kurt Suzuki. He was sacrificed to second on a bunt by Byron Buxton, but a flyout by Brian Dozier preceded a soft groundout to first by Joe Mauer to end the inning.

Both pitchers cruised through the first four innings. Rodon struck out five Twins his first time through the order and Hughes didn't allow a baserunner until Rollins' swinging bunt down the third-base line with one out in the fourth.

NOTES: Chicago entered the game three games above .500 for the first time since the end of the 2012 season. The White Sox are off to their best start since starting the 2005 season 6-2. ... White Sox OF/DH Avisail Garcia got the night off. ... Twins LHP Glen Perkins was placed on the 15-day disabled list with a left shoulder strain. ... Twins LHP Taylor Rogers was recalled from Triple-A Rochester to take Perkins' roster spot. ... Chicago and Minnesota will conclude their three-game series on Thursday afternoon at Target Field. The White Sox will send RHP Mat Latos (1-0, 0.00 ERA) to the mound. The Twins will counter with RHP Ervin Santana (0-0, 2.25 ERA).