Jeromy Burnitz – not the old, free-swinging hacker, but the new paragon of plate patience – has preached discipline, working the pitcher and the count. But at heart he’s still a first-ball, fastball hitter, and that style worked just fine for him in last night’s 6-3 win.

Burnitz went 2-for-4 with a home run and scored two runs to help lead the Mets to victory on a humid, sticky night at Shea that must have made the Marlins feel right at home.

Overall, Burnitz is 16-for-48 in his last 13 games, with five home runs and 11 RBI. It’s the kind of hot streak that was missing from last year’s disappointing .215 campaign, but exactly the kind of showing that any player in his free agent walk season would want.

The 34-year-old’s cumbersome contract expires after he earns $12 million this year. And even though he appears a lock to test the free-agent waters, and it’s almost certain he won’t duplicate that pact, his resurgent play can only be considered a good sign.

With the Mets trailing 3-2 in the third inning, Burnitz crushed the first pitch he saw that inning over the wall in right. He drilled Mark Redman’s belt-high offering 415 feet to knot the score for his team-leading 12th home run of the year.

Burnitz also sparked the decisive rally three innings later. First-pitch swinging again, he led off the sixth by ripping a single to right field. He took second on Jason Phillips’ bloop single to right-center, and third on Vance Wilson’s sacrifice bunt.

After Florida elected to set up the double-play by intentionally walking Tsuyoshi Shinjo to face Jose Reyes, the rookie shortstop plated both Burnitz and Phillips with a two-run single to center.

Clearly, Burnitz has built-in alibis should he lose the rhythm he’s worked so hard to build. Perhaps the old Burnitz would have succumbed to them.

He suffered a non-displaced fracture of the fifth metacarpal in his left hand while being hit by a Billy Wagner pitch on April 22. He went on the 15-day disabled list two days later, and stayed there exactly one month. But his stint on the DL didn’t cool off Burnitz’ hot bat, and he has had 23 RBI in the 27 games since his return.

And despite suffering a lacerated right ring finger in the Yankee series – after being accidentally stepped on by Alfonso Soriano – he hasn’t lost a beat.