ANAHEIM, Calif. -- For second baseman Johnny Giavotella, coming to the plate with the bases loaded and two outs late in a tie game provides material that fulfills dreams.

Giavotella responded by hitting a two-run single in the bottom of the eighth inning to give the Los Angeles Angels a 4-2 win over the Detroit Tigers on Sunday night at Angel Stadium and a sweep of the four-game series.

"I love it," said Giavotella, who is batting .517 (15-for-29) in late and close situations this season and has seven game-winning RBIs. "Any baseball player loves to be out there when the game is on the line."

Giavotella and the Angels handed the Tigers their seventh loss in nine games.

"We're not playing the way we're capable of right now," said Detroit left-hander David Price, the losing pitcher. "You've just got to grind through it."

Los Angeles broke a 2-2 tie in the bottom of the eighth against Price (4-2). Third baseman David Freese began the inning by drawing a walk, and he was replaced by pinch runner Kirk Nieuwenhuis. Catcher Chris Iannetta followed with an infield single, and right fielder Kole Calhoun sacrificed both runners into scoring position.

Price walked first baseman Grant Green to load the bases, then induced a popout from pinch hitter Carlos Perez before being relieved by right-hander Joba Chamberlain. Giavotella hit a single up the middle to bring home Nieuwenhuis and Iannetta.

"I was looking fastball," Giovotella said. "I was able to get a slider in the middle of the plate."

Right-hander Joe Smith (2-2) pitched a perfect eighth inning with one strikeout to earn the win. Right-handed closer Huston Street pitched a perfect ninth with a strikeout for his 17th save.

Price threw a season-high 121 pitches in 7 2/3 innings. He allowed four runs, eight hits and four walks while striking out six.

The American League's 2012 Cy Young Award winner attributed his early success to the visual conditions resulting from a 5 p.m. PDT start.

"Those shadows help," Price said. "It's always a good thing to have games at that time with those shadows. It's extremely difficult to hit. It's tough to pick up the spin of the ball. Once the shadows settle in, hitters can see a lot better."

Detroit had a chance to break the tie in the top of the seventh inning after loading the bases with two out. Shortstop Jose Iglesias lined a single before second baseman Ian Kinsler and first baseman Miguel Cabrera walked, but Angels right-handed reliever Cam Bedrosian got left fielder Yoenis Cespedes to fly out.

The Tigers took a 1-0 lead against Los Angeles starter Matt Shoemaker in the top of the second inning. With one out, right fielder J.D. Martinez hit a ground ball up the middle. Giavotella speared the ball, pivoted and threw across his body from the shortstop side of second base, but Martinez beat the throw.

Designated hitter Tyler Collins followed with a double down the right field line to send Martinez to third base. Catcher James McCann then hit a sacrifice fly to bring home Martinez, giving Detroit its first lead at any point of the four-game series.

Los Angeles moved ahead with two runs in the bottom of the fifth against Price, who retired 11 of the first 12 batters he faced and conceded his first hit with two outs in the fourth.

Green led off with a single, took third base when Giavotella hit a double down the right field line and score the tying run on shortstop Erick Aybar's single. Center fielder Mike Trout gave the Angels a 2-1 lead when he lined a single into left field to score Giavotella.

Detroit tied the score 2-2 in the top of the sixth. First baseman Miguel Cabrera began the inning with a single, took second on a passed ball and scored when Giavotella threw Cespedes' ground ball past first base for an error.

That error provided Giavotella with extra motivation