The isn't a "Rewind" game. Or a tear in the fabric of spacetime. All the bad and good stuff that has happened in the last nine years has still happened. Brian Shackleford will not be coming into relieve Bronson Arroyo.
Bronson Arroyo and Andy Pettite have played in a combined 40 major league seasons, much of it overlapping. Pettite broke in with the Yankees in '95, Arroyo as a Pirate in 2000. They've faced each other three times previously: twice in 2006 when Arroyo was a Red and Pettite was an Astro, once in Pettite's first stint as a Yankee. Arroyo came in to relieve Pedro Martinez.
The two NL Central face-offs were split: one Goodroyo, one Badroyo. Pettite got the win at Fenway when Arroyo was a spunky 26-year-old long reliever. Nine years later, Arroyo is the crafty veteran trying to put together a bounce-back season. Pettite is something beyond a veteran, having recently returned from retirement. Elder statesman, maybe.
What the Reds need out of Arroyo, possibly more than anything else, is innings. They've usually been able to depend on him for that. Since Arroyo's last start (5.0 IP), Homer Bailey is the only Reds' starter to make it to the 7th inning (and he didn't finish it). BroYo has plenty of experience in Yankee Stadium to boot, including three playoff appearances. It doesn't hurt that he's currently leading the NL in walk rate and SO/BB.
Further reading
Here's the Reds' lineup from Pettite and Arroyo's first meeting in NL Central (June 3, 2006). I'm actually impressed that's there's two players still around from that team:
Brandon Phillips 2B
Felipe Lopez SS
Ken Griffey, Jr. CF
Rich Aurilia 1B
Adam Dunn LF
Austin Kearns RF
Edwin Encarnacion 3B
David Ross C
Bronson Arroyo RHP
Dewayne Wise, who starts for the Yankees tonight, was with the Reds in 2006.
This is only the 23rd regular or postseason meeting between the Reds and Yankees in history. They've played 9 times in interleague play (the Reds are 5-4) and 13 times over three World Series (Reds won one of three, going 5-8).
The Reds went 6-12 in interleague play last season. Ignore those games and win these games. Go Reds!
Lineups
REDS
Zack Cozart (R) SS
Drew Stubbs (R) CF
Joey Votto (L) 1B
Brandon Phillips (R) 2B
Jay Bruce (L) RF
Chris Heisey (R) LF
Todd Frazier (R) 3B
Miguel Cairo (R) DH
Ryan Hanigan (R) C
YANKEES
Derek Jeter (R) SS
Curtis Granderson (L) CF
Robinson Cano (L) 2B
Alex Rodriguez (R) 3B
Raul Ibanez (L) RF
Nick Swisher (S) 1B
Eric Chavez (L) DH
Dewayne Wise (L) LF
Chris Stewart (R) C