Major League Baseball

White Sox 3, Twins 0

Updated Mar. 4, 2020 5:16 p.m. ET

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MINNEAPOLIS -- Jerry Sands hit a two-run homer and Carlos Rodon pitched six shutout innings to lead the Chicago White 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.

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 this season and have scored a total of 13 runs in those games, seven fewer than any other team in the majors.

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.

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.

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.

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 got the leadoff man on in the bottom half of the inning when Kurt Suzuki drew a walk. 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. ... 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).

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