The Angels have cut the deficit to seven games with about six to seven weeks of baseball still to play.

That means the Angels would have to gain a game or so on the Rangers just about every single week.

Texas certainly looks like the better team, but they haven’t been in this position in such a long time.

The Angels have dominated the West division for so many years, so they won’t get nervous as they try to catch Texas.

Since Kendry Morales broke his leg in the infamous celebration following a walkoff grand slam in May, the Los Angeles Angels have been looking for power at first base.

They thought they had found it in Derrek Lee, until the veteran Chicago Cubs’ slugger invoked his 10-and-5 rights.

Lee, a veteran with at least 10 years of major-league service and five with the same team, used his right of refusal and shot down a deal that would’ve given the Angels a big bat at first base for the stretch run.

Los Angeles, sitting in third place in the AL West, 8 ½ games in arrears of Texas and a game behind second-place Oakland, desperately is trying to find a power bat in advance of Saturday’s 4 p.m. trade deadline.

Lee is hitting .248 with 11 home runs and 44 RBIs this year for the Cubs, who are mired in the middle of the pack in the NL Central Division.

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The ups and downed evened out for the Los Angeles Angels in the first month of the season.

Twenty-four games in the books, and the Angels sat at 12-12 on the season, dead even. But the path there was anything but even in slope.

Los Angeles, the defending AL West champion, found itself at 3-7 on the season after a loss to New York on April 15. That tough start included a four-game losing streak after a victory over the Twins on opening day.

But after a tough first 10 games, the Angels found their stride. A three-game sweep at Toronto and two wins against Detroit at home resulted in a five-game winning streak that put Los Angeles above .500 at 8-7.

Jered Weaver’s strong pitching paced the Angels in April, Weaver going 3-0 with a 2.53 ERA in five starts. Offensively, Kendry Morales led the regulars with a .315 average, six home runs and 16 RBIs.

Los Angeles started May on a down note, losing 3-2 at Detroit.

—30—

Morales hit the game-changing bomb after being given the green light on a 3-0 count against Demaso Marte. But it was manager Joe Girardi who really gave the Angels first baseman the chance. The Yankees skipper initially called for an intentional walk of Morales, but changed his mind after one pitch and Morales made him pay.

Morales finished 3-for-3 with 3 RBI and two runs scored. Bobby Abreu also homered and went 2 for 4.

On a less positive note, though, starting pitcher Scott Kazmir struggled again. He walked four batters and gave up four runs in 5 1/3 innings, and his ERA now stands at 7.20 on the season.

Kazmir also served up two home runs, to Robinson Cano and Jorge Posada.