The kid thought he was going to the dentist. Dad took him to the World Series and he hit Freddie Freeman's grand slam

Plagued by metal braces, Zachary Ruderman was told by his parents Friday that he could leave his fifth-grade class early because he had an orthodontist appointment to remove his braces. The shaggy-haired 10-year-old thought he'd get out of his chair in time to watch Game 1 of the World Series on TV.

After all, Zachary wore Dodgers gear to school, drawing from a wardrobe that included several shirts emblazoned with the name of his favorite player, Freddie Freeman.

So when his father picked him up—surprise! — showed him the ticket in the right-field pavilion and headed straight for Chavez Ravine, Zachary was thrilled. They met his mom at Echo Park for pregame tacos at Guisado's and were soon in their seats.

But Zachary's elation was nothing compared to what he felt in the 10th inning when Freeman's game-winning grand slam hit right.

“Everybody was on their feet, nobody was even sitting down,” Zachary said. “I was standing in the bleacher seats so I could see. A second or two after the bat crack, I realized it was coming straight at us.

“It was really a reaction, an instinct.”

It was also a team effort. When the ball rolled from the seat in front of Zachary to the ground at his feet, he batted it to his father, Nico, who jumped after it before many other fans.

“When everyone knew I had the ball, I stood up and handed it [Zachary]said Nico, whose family lives in Venice. “I picked her up and tears were streaming down her face.”

Fans in the surrounding seats were happy for Zachary, a die-hard fan who kept scorebooks at games. And the key games: He was there when Fernando Valenzuela retired No. 34 in 2023, and this year he was there on Opening Day, Clayton Kershaw Bobblehead Night and Game 1 of the National League Division and Championship Series.

“Hundreds of people were crowding me,” Zachary said. “A lot of people wanted to take a picture with me and the ball. It was overwhelming.”

The Dodgers faithful applauded that no one tried to take the ball out of his hands. Everyone was focused on winning, the team celebrated on the field while in the stadium.

“Even Yankees fans high-fived him,” Nico said. “It was surreal.”

Early the next morning, Zachary went on a business trip with his mother, Ann. He was wearing a Dodgers cap and T-shirt, and a flight attendant asked him if he had seen the walk-off home run.

“Yes,” replied Zachary, “I caught it.”

The flight attendant jumped on the plane's public address system and announced Zachary's great fortune to the other passengers. He rose from his seat to applause.

Needless to say, the whole episode feels like a dream, but Zachary has one last wish: he wants to get the ball signed by Freeman.

And, finally, one can't blame him for at least considering selling it. Ball sold Freeman's teammate, Shohei Ohtani, for $4.4 million at auction, hitting the seats to make him the first player in history to hit 50 home runs and steal 50 bases in a season.

This will be more than the orthodontics bill.